In a move that followed several weeks of speculation and conjecture, the Dubai Racing Club announced today at the Al Quoz Sprint (G3), previously scheduled for the final night of the 2010 Dubai International Racing Carnival. The race, run at 1,200 meters on the straight Meydan turf course, will carry a $1,000,000 purse and stands to significantly improve its stature on the international calendar.
The Al Quoz Sprint is the only turf sprint run in Dubai that has listed or group status. J J The Jet Plane, formerly trained by Mike De Kock, was the winner of the 2009 edition. Several international media sources had reported the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) could possibly shift from its scheduled Tapeta to Turf for 2010. DubaiRaceNight.com’s commentary from earlier in the week indicated that such a change would be highly unlikely, but rather, an addition to the schedule was more likely. Click HERE for our original article.
“The highest rated sprinters in the world are predominantly turf horses and with the rich history of the Dubai Golden Shaheen attracting the best from the USA, we will now attract the best turf sprinters in the world with the addition of Al Quoz Sprint,” reported Dubai Racing Club chairman Malih Al Basti.
“Al Quoz Sprint is positioned perfectly on the international calendar to enable horses to run in Dubai and then go on to international sprints either at Royal Ascot or Singapore.”
The Al Quoz Sprint has been run for three seasons with the 2009 win from J J The Jet Plane as the most significant result in the race’s short history. Click HERE for the full history of the Al Quoz Sprint with access to previous race charts.
UAE DERBY EXTENDED
The United Arab Emirates Derby, previously run over both 9 and 10 furlongs, has been extended from it’s current 1,800 meters distance to 1,900 meters.