General Manager of Jebel Ali Racecourse Mohammed Al Ahmed is brimming with new ideas that will take racing at JARC to the next level while upholding its traditional values.
Racing at Jebel Ali is set for a meteoric rise after Mohammed Al Ahmed, the General Manager of Jebel Ali Racecourse, revealed ambitious plans for enhancing the racing experience for both connections and racegoers while also making it integrate seamlessly within the wider racing ecosystem of the UAE. Al Ahmed is intent on giving racing a push for the better and taking it to even greater heights by improving the quality of races and facilities at the track and aligning it with an unprecedented vision that takes aim at the future. Jebel Ali’s opening meeting this Saturday is likely to feature differences than those in previous years and Al Ahmed praised the cooperation JARC have received from their counterparts. He has also made a bold proposal for the establishment of a regulatory body for Gulf racing to formulate and coordinate races that have a potential growth and for a system of pattern racing to be set up.
THANKS AND APPRECIATION
Al Ahmad confirmed the management will endeavour to develop the racing experience at JARC and maintain the high standards that have been set in place according to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the patron and founder of the venue. He praised the status of UAE racing both locally and globally and lauded His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA), and Sheikh Rashed bin Dalmouk Al Maktoum, the Vice-Chairman of the ERA, for their efforts towards creating an environment of cooperation and coordination between the various components of UAE racing and also thanked HE Engineer Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi for the growth achieved by the body since his appointment as General Manager of the ERA. Al Ahmed also praised JARC's strategic cooperation with Dubai Racing Club, led by its Executive Director, Major General Dr. Mohammad Essa Al Adhab, and the management of other racing clubs of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Sharjah.
ADVANTAGES OF COOPERATION WITH DUBAI RACING CLUB
Al Ahmed is happy to cooperate with DRC who have driven racing forward with their many innovative initiatives, the latest of which is the new-look Dubai Racing Carnival, which takes over from the Dubai World Cup Carnival. He praised the flexibility and understanding of the DRC management to take into consideration and support racing at other clubs and cited the Emirates Sprint Series as an example of the DRC offering it's support by climbing aboard and agreeing to host a leg of the series at Meydan Racecourse this season.
A UNIQUE RACING EXPERIENCE
Al Ahmed said JARC with its unique surface had always delivered exciting racing and a brilliant experience to the thousands that have flocked to the venue over the years and he believes with the new ideas in place and a new incentive system being developed things will be even better. A restructuring of the racing will see new races being added to the programme and wider coverage of racing at JARC internationally.
NEW CONCEPT AT EVERY MEETING
He said each of the meetings will adopt a new concept, with each of the meetings boasting its own identity, concept and slogan. All that as JARC upholds its long-running tradition of hosting racegoers as if they were at a picnic on the undulating lawns of the racecourse that run alongside its testing track. He added that a café, raffles and other attractions would keep crowds attending entertained. Al Ahmed also revealed efforts were made during the summer months to make key improvements to the racing surface with an international panel of experts employed to deliver results that have been approved both by the ERA and riders who will compete during the season.
MICHAEL COSTA COULD BECOME A TOP NAME IN THE GULF
Al Ahmed is expecting Sheikh Ahmed’s retained trainer, Michael Costa to have another brilliant UAE season. The Australian scored with 14 of his 93 runners last term and, with the stable having bolstered its roster during the off-season by becoming a key presence at a number of top sales around the world and acquired a new retained rider in Ben Coen, Al Ahmed believes the bright yellow colours of Sheikh Ahmed will once enjoy massive success both locally and internationally.
