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| Staff Writer |
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Emirates Airline, a leading airline carrier, is set to sponsor Super Saturday, one of the most significant days of the Dubai Racing Carnival on 2nd March. This event takes place at the iconic Meydan Racecourse and serves as a warm-up to the US$30.5million Dubai World Cup fixture, which attracts horses, trainers, and jockeys from all over the world.
Emirates Airline has been a significant global sponsor of sports and has been supporting racing in Dubai for almost three decades. They have notably lent their name to the most prestigious race in the UAE, the $12million G1 Dubai World Cup, which is sponsored by Emirates Airline.
Emirates Airline will name all nine races on the Super Saturday card, which are worth more than AED800,000 in prize money. The Gr.2 Al Maktoum Classic, which is worth AED1.7million and spans 1900 meters, is the feature event.
The event is supported by the Gr.2 Dubai City of Gold, worth AED1.4million, and the newly upgraded Gr.3 Ras Al Khor, which also has a prize fund of AED1.4million.
The first two races named are part of the new nine-race Dubai World Cup Bonus Scheme, introduced to coincide with the new Carnival, and offer more than US$4million in additional prize money.
By winning on Emirates Super Saturday, those successful earn automatic entry to the corresponding race on World Cup night, plus a chance of a 10 per cent bonus for winning both races. The Gr.3 Burj Nahaar, Gr.3 Mahab Al Shimaal, and the Gr.3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint are three other races on the card that act as qualifiers.
An Emirates spokesperson said, “Emirates is thrilled to be the title sponsor for Super Saturday, one of the most prestigious days on the Dubai horseracing calendar. We are proud that Dubai continues to be at the forefront of horseracing, and we’re excited to support further developments to grow the sport in our home base, as well as showcase the best it has to offer to both a domestic and global audience.”
Major General Dr. Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, Executive Director of Dubai Racing Club, commented: “We are delighted to have Emirates on board for this new-look Super Saturday meeting at Meydan Racecourse. They remain one of the world’s leading airlines and their continued support of horseracing in Dubai and across the world is hugely valued. We look forward to working with them once again and to an exciting evening of racing, which will give race fans some valuable pointers towards the Dubai World Cup meeting on March 30th.” Racing begins at the earlier than usual time of 3:30pm.