Al Rayyan Racecourse primed for HH The Amir Sword

The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) is all set to host the HH The Amir Sword Festival, which will start from tomorrow and continues until Saturday. The QREC management, chaired by Issa bin Mohamed al-Mohannadi, has completed all arrangements and ensured the Al Rayyan Racecourse is fully ready for the start of the races. Twenty-six races will be run throughout the three days of the Festival, with eight races on day one, ten on day two and eight on the card of the third and final day.
The general appearance inside QREC looks at best and enthralling. QREC management has ensured everything is well-prepared before the start of the prestigious event, which is the pinnacle of horse racing in Qatar and the region.
In addition, the new identity of the festival will add extra momentum, which will have a positive impact on the general image of the most prestigious equestrian festival. It comes as part of the continuous development of Qatar’s premier racing event, especially with the rise in the prizes money to $10mn since last season. With the declarations announced on Monday, horse connections are adding the final touches to their runners. The international raiders travelling all the way from France, UK, Ireland, Japan, Hong Kong, UAE and Oman to face the tough Qatar-trained challengers.
HH The Amir Sword and
Trophy draw today
The draw of the HH The Amir Sword and the HH The Amir Trophy races will be held this evening at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) Clubhouse. All eyes will be on the draw as these are the feature races of the HH The Amir Sword Festival and each offers $2.5mn as prize money, which makes the HH The Amir Sword the most valuable Group one race for purebred Arabians in the world. Each of the two mega races will be run over 2400m and have a field of 11 runners.
HH The Amir Sword Race
All eyes will be on Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Ghadeer, who bids to land the golden Sword and be crowned with the Doha Triple Crown, having already won the first and the second stages of the crown at Goodwood (Qatar International Stakes) and at ParisLongchamp (Qatar Arabian World Cup). Wathan Racing’s Abbes, the title holder, will also take centre stage in the prestigious event as he seeks to retain the Sword glory for the second straight year following his impressive victory in last year’s renewal. Bin Al Tair will be another representative of Wathan Racing as well. The other challengers are His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Al Doha, HE Sheikha Iman bint Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Hareeb, HE Sheikha Yasmeen bint Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Divine Princess, HE Sheikha Reem bint Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s AA Feel The Burn, Al Shaqab Racing’s Mezown and Al Tammtam, Abdullah bin Fahad A H al-Attiyah’s Ch’ezza and Sultan Ali al-Senaidi’s Djalnor.
Day One – Tomorrow, February 15: Sand Championships Day:
• The day features the races for the leading horses, based in Qatar, which perform well on the sand track.
• There are four categories of horses: Thoroughbreds, Purebred Arabians, Local Bred Thoroughbreds and Local Bred Arabians.
• There are two races for each category and one race for each category is for the best horses while the other is for young horses or horses which have not won yet.
• Every race is worth $100,000 which is three times as much as any other race on the sand.
Horse to watch: Nibras Racing Syndicate’s Nuvolari won last year’s renewal of the Thoroughbred Sand Championship. He won handsomely by five and a half lengths and has been specially prepared for this race this year.
Day Two – Friday, February 16: Al Rayyan Breeders Cup Day
• These are races for the leading horses, based in Qatar, which prefer the grass track.
• There are 10 races including races for the best female horses in each category (Thoroughbreds, Purebred Arabians, Local Bred Thoroughbreds and Local Bred Arabians)
• The highlight of the day is the Al Rayyan Breeders Cup, worth $400,000, for Local Bred Thoroughbreds
• The other major event is the Al Zubarah Trophy, worth $200,000, for Local Bred Purebred Arabians
Horse to watch: Wathnan Racing’s Equinoxe in the Al Rayyan Breeders Cup for Local Bred Thoroughbreds: He was the champion local bred thoroughbreds and won this race last season.
Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Layeq in the Al Zubarah Trophy for Local Bred Purebred Arabians: He was third in the same race last year and is an improving young horse who won the Qatar National Derby in December.
Day Three – Saturday February 17: HH The Amir Sword and Trophy Day:
• There are eight races for international thoroughbreds and Purebred Arabians, including top international race horses ridden by famous jockeys in each race.
• There are five races for thoroughbreds over all the most important racing distances: sprint (1,200m), one mile (1,600m), 2,000m, and the classic distance of 2,400m for the biggest race of all, the HH The Amir Trophy.
• There are three races for purebred Arabians, including two races at Group 1 level, the pinnacle of purebred Arabian racing worldwide.

Horses to watch: Godolphin’s Mischief Magic in the 1,200m Dukhan Sprint, won an international Group 1 race on the biggest day in the USA racing calendar in 2022, and also won his latest start in Dubai impressively. He is still a young horse at only 4 years old and is really exciting to watch because he gets to the front very late with tremendous acceleration.
Shadai Race Horse Co. Ltd’s Zeffiro in the 2,400m HH The Amir Trophy: He is a crack Japanese horse who is tremendously consistent and never out of the first four, even at the very highest level. He was second by a length in a major international Group 3 race in Hong Kong on his last start in December.
Wathnan Racing’s Simca Mille is the big local hope for Qatar in the HH The Amir Trophy. He won a Group 1 race in Germany six months ago, then ran creditably in Europe’s biggest thoroughbred race, the Qatar Arc De Triomphe, in October. He won his preparatory race here two weeks ago.
Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Ghadeer is the best purebred Arabian in the world and looks almost unbeatable in the HH The Amir Sword. The only possible things that might stop him are the 2,400m distance, which he tries for the first time. He bids to land the golden Sword and be crowned with the Doha Triple Crown, having already won the first and the second stages of the crown at Goodwood (Qatar International Stakes) and at ParisLongchamp (Qatar Arabian World Cup) and become the first winner of the Triple Crown since Ebraz won the legendary title in 2020.
Wathnan Racing’s Abbes who won the HH The Amir Sword in impressive style last year and comes into the race having won the biggest race in Abu Dhabi, the Al Nahyan Jewel Crown.