Saturday, Dec 07, 2013
Dubai: Queensland’s Gold Coast Turf Club made history on Saturday when it staged two Purebred Arabian during the annual Summer Surf Sprint Raceday.
Once again the commitment of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, to promote Arabian racing provided Australian racing fans with the spectacle of watching Arabians compete for the Shadwell Arabian Plate and the UAE Arabian Plate.
It was the first time that the Gold Coast Turf Club, Queensland’s premier race track, had hosted Arabian races and it helped boost Shaikh Hamdan’s dream of seeing Arabians compete at every major race track in the world.
Mirza Al Sayegh, Investment Advisor to Shaikh Hamdan, was full of praise for Gold Coast Turf Club’s efforts to promote Arabian racing.
Al Sayegh expressed his heartfelt thanks to Shaikh Hamdan for his continued support of Arabian racing in Australia following last year’s successful staging of Arabian races at the Melbourne Racing Club in 2011 and Emirates Stakes day at Caulfied last year,
“It is a great honour to be representing His Highness Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum at this prestigious race day,” he said. “We are proud to be showcasing Arabian racing to fans at Gold Coast Turf Club for the first time.
“It has always been Shaikh Hamdan’s vision to take Arabian racing to the far corners of the globe and it is encouraging to see the extraordinary support he has received in Australia.”
Al Sayegh also pointed out that it is essential that Arabian racing receives support from the government as it helps cultivate strong diplomatic relationships between the UAE and Australia.
“Now that the foundation for Arabian racing has been established we hope that the sport will grow and further enrich itself in the country,” he said.
Saturday’s races were held in conjunction with the Gold Coast Turf Club and the National Arabian Racehorse Association (Nara) and were sponsored by Shadwell, the breeding arm of Shaikh Hamdan’s racing empire.
Shadwell also hosted a luncheon for over 100 guests, which included politicians, members of the Arab Australia Chamber of Commerce and businessmen.
The guests were welcomed by a delegation from the UAE, headed by Al Sayegh, Chris Kennard, Shadwell UK and Mark Kelly, director for Shadwell.
Earlier the event was launched in the presence of Gold Coast Turf club’s CEO, Grant Sheather, Elaine Dittman (Racing Queensland), Annie Norton-Knight (Mayors Office) and Arch McDonald (Gold Coast Turf Club).
By Leslie Wilson Jr Racing & Special Features Writer
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
