The head of the Dubai Racing Club (DRC) has hailed Emirates airline’s unremitting support of horse racing in the UAE and around the world saying it is ‘hugely valued.’
Major General Dr Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, Executive Director of the DRC made the comment as Emirates returns to Meydan Racecourse this weekend to sponsor ‘Super Saturday’, one of the biggest days of the Dubai Racing Carnival.
The much-anticipated meeting, which is the traditional build-up to the $30.5 million Dubai World Cup fixture on March 30, features nine top-tier races that mirror the races on the big day.
A huge global sponsor of sport, Emirates airline has been a Pillar Partner of flat racing in Dubai for close to three decades; notably lending its name to the $ 12 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup, the most prestigious race in the UAE, since its inception in 1996.
Emirates airline will sponsor all nine races on the ‘Super Saturday’ card.
Al Adhab commented: “We are delighted to have Emirates on board for this new-look Super Saturday meeting at Meydan Racecourse.
“They remain one of the world’s leading airlines and their continued support of horseracing in Dubai and across the world is hugely valued.
“We look forward to working with them once again and to an exciting evening of racing, which will give race fans some valuable pointers towards the Dubai World Cup meeting on March 30th,” Al Adhab added.
The feature race of the day-night meeting at Meydan is the Group 2 Al Maktoum Classic, the third of three races in a series which serve as trial races for the Dubai World Cup.
Originally called the Al Maktoum Challenge (Round 2) the race was renamed in 2024 to the Classic.
It is a notable prep race for the Dubai World Cup and carries a whopping purse of Dhs 1.7 million.
Top horses like Dubai Millennium, Street Cry, Electrocutionist, African Story and Prince Bishop have all used the three-race Al Maktoum series route before claiming victory in the Dubai World Cup.
All four horses were trained by eight-time Dubai Racing Carnival champion and legendary Godolphin handler Saeed bin Suroor. He has also saddled no fewer than nine Dubai World Cup winners.
The showpiece race is supported by the Group 2 Dubai City of Gold, worth Dhs 1.4 million, and the newly upgraded Group 3 Ras Al Khor, also worth Dhs 1.4 million.
An Emirates spokesperson said: “Emirates is thrilled to be the title sponsor for Super Saturday, one of the most prestigious days on the Dubai horse racing calendar.
“We are proud that Dubai continues to be at the forefront of horse racing, and we’re excited to support further developments to grow the sport in our home base, as well as showcase the best it has to offer to both a domestic and global audience.”
Racing begins at 3:30 pm and there are a range of tickets on sale for General Admission and at the Premium in addition to a range of dining options starting from Dhs 295.
To book, go to www.dubairacingclub.com
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