Sir Bani Yas wins 2015 Goodwood Festival

18 July 2017, UK ~ Representatives from the Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO), were in attendance at a press launch for the forthcoming Qatar Goodwood Festival held at the Sky Bar, Grange St. Paul’s Hotel in London on 17 July 2017. The £400,000 Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA) will be run on Wednesday, 2 August 2017, on the second day of the five-day annual Festival, held yearly at the historic Sussex Downs racecourse.

Clerk of the Course, Seamus Buckley said: “As always we try to produce decent ground; I hate starting off the Festival meeting with fast ground because it’s a long week. It’s been extremely difficult this year, as it’s been a very dry spring and early summer. In April, getting ready for the first meeting we had 6mm of rain in 36 days, so we had to water extensively for the start of the season. However, we had 50mm last week and as I speak we have the irrigator slowly working its’ way around the course.”

During an interview with ITV Racing’s Oli Bell, ARO Director Genny Haynes said: “Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club have been sponsoring Arabian racing in the UK since 2009 and inaugurated this race in 2015, as the first leg of the Doha Triple Crown Series.

“This year we have a high-class selection of entries, headed by the 2017 HH Emir’s Sword Winner Ebraz, and the second Tayf. In addition, we will have the mare, Prada T, trained by her owner-breeder Gerard Zoetelief in Holland. She has finished second twice in this race so far.”

The second and third stages of the Triple Crown are the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Gr1PA), run at Chantilly in October, and the HH Emir’s Sword (Gr1PA) to be run in Doha in February 2018. This series links together three of the most prestigious international racing events and also carries a $1,000,000 bonus to any horse who can win all three stages.

The closing date for the supplementary entry stage for the Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA) is Tuesday, 25 July at 12 noon.

~ end report