Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), headed by Issa bin Mohamed Al Mohannadi, yesterday announced the horse racing programme for the new season 2024-2025, which will see a total of 69 races, including 47 races on Al Rayyan track and the rest on Al Uqda racecourse.

The season will witness more number of races in comparison to the last season which had 67 races. This increase is in line with the club’s vision to benefit from all available facilities and to provide greater opportunities for owners, trainers and jockeys to participate, especially with the large financial prizes allocated for racing in general.

The new season is scheduled to start on October 16 with the Al Ghariya Cup race at the Al Rayyan sand track, followed by the second race on October 17th for the Al Hamla Cup at Al Rayyan racecourse’s grass track.

Prestigious HH The Amir Festival in February: Al Mohannadi

Issa bin Mohamed al-Mohannadi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, said: “Since the end of last season, the club’s management has been working to complete the 2024-2025 season programme in co-ordination with owners and trainers. More than one meeting was held and the broad outlines of the race programme, rounds, categories of participating horses, and classification of horses in each round were explained. A proposed programme was discussed it with owners and trainers because we all care about success and holding Qatari races that are worthy of the status that horseracing has reached in Qatar, as well as the amount of support available to us from officials in the country.

QREC Chairman Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi (left) and QREC Acting CEO Bader Mohammed Al Darwish

Al Mohannadi added: “According to the new season’s programme’s, the most important and largest event organised by the club every year, which is the HH The Amir’s Sword Festival, will start on February 13, 2025, and continue for three days at the Al Rayyan track.

“The last day, February 15, will be dedicated to holding the strongest and largest races in terms of financial prizes throughout the season, which is the HH The Amir’s Sword race for purebred Arabian horses of the first category for a distance of 2,400m, and the HH The Amir’s Trophy race for purebred Arabian horses of the first category for a distance of 2,400m.

“The Qatar International Derby, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy, His Excellency Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle, and the Qatar Golden Sword, all of these races have been placed in the racing programme according to the appropriate dates based on classification and quality of the horses participating, and some of them will have international participation, such as HH The Amir’s Sword and the Qatar International Derby.”

Badr bin Mohamed Al Darwish, acting CEO of Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, said: “We look forward to organising a distinguished racing season in light of the great desire of the club’s management to continuously develop the races and work to reach a level appropriate to the size of the interest and support for Qatari horse racing.

“Announcing the official calendar is the first step towards confirming readiness for the new season, although we are currently focusing on the major overseas races sponsored by the club but the management is working on two parallel paths and we have the experience that helps us achieve our goal in implementing everything in an ideal manner. We hope that the level of racing in the next season will be in line with the size of the interest and standards that are being applied, which have contributed to placing horseracing held in Qatar on the map of major races, especially when we organize the HH The Amir’s Sword Festival every year.”