Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club Starts Al Uqda Complex Operation in Al Khor

Doha, August 17 (QNA) - The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club's (QREC) announced that the facilities of the Al Uqda Complex in Al Khor, as a state-owned horse racing asset, will be operated and that the stables of the Complex will be allocated for the use of trainers to train horses in favor of QREC subscribers. The operation of the Complex is within QREC's commitment to have its general strategy in place in line with the state's drive to provide the best available resources to serve horse racing in Qatar as a leader in this sport. To this end and pursuant to the directives of HE Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali to make the use of the facilities of the Al Uqda Complex available for the largest possible number of Qatari stakeholders, the Complex will be operated in coordination with the Ministry of Culture and Sports being the authority overseeing QREC. As part of QREC's preparations to fulfil its duty of operating and running the Complex, the stables of the Complex will be allocated for the use of trainers to train horses in favor of QREC subscribers. This move is aimed to benefit from the complex in realizing QREC's strategy and providing trainers more opportunities to properly train and prepare horses for, and eventually enhance, racing. It, further, opens the door for more new horse owners to benefit from the Al Uqda Complex stables and, thus, eases the waiting list issue. QREC Chairman Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi said, "The Al Uqda Complex in Al Khor is a new sports asset, which will play a part in the ongoing enhancement of horse racing both at Al Uqda and Al Rayyan Park. The Complex will provide more stables and horse stalls, which will be allocated for the use of trainers according to the regulations in effect, as they are specialized in properly preparing horses for running in races. This matter will also give trainers the opportunity to benefit from the facilities of the Al Uqda Complex, have more horses to train and get their horses to produce their best form. Such benefits will be in favor of horse owners, as QREC subscribers, with race meetings run at Al Uqda in the coming season and the program and prize money for such racing events are being finalized." "The use of the Al Uqda Complex horse stalls has already been announced to interested trainers", added Al Mohannadi, "in order to train and prepare their horses there as part of the fair competition and in a manner, which boosts horse racing. So far, a number of trainers have submitted their applications for using stalls for the horse they will train there. No doubt, the Al Uqda Complex, as a new asset serving horse racing in Qatar, will help create a perfect environment for competition among trainers because each of them will seek to prove the quality of his work in training horses. Horse owners will have freedom of choice in terms of trainers in order to get the maximum benefit as subscribers and participants in the QREC's racing activities. Eventually, we will have a bigger opportunity to further raise the standard of racing in Qatar in general." QREC CEO Nasser bin Sherida Al Kaabi said, "The Al Uqda Complex in Al Khor is a facility, which reflects the state's considerable interest in to Qatar's horse racing, especially as it provides an opportunity for holding races at the racecourse there. In addition, many horse owners in the northern areas of the county will run their horses in such races, which in turn will achieve the goal behind the operation of the Complex as an asset established to serve and enhance racing. It will also help ease the waiting list issue related to the use of stables and participation in horse racing. "In the coming weeks, the Al Uqda Complex will host a horse auction, which will be the first sale ever to be held there, and entries for such auction have already been opened. In the next season, races will be run at Al Uqda as well as at Al Rayyan. The general plan for races at Al Uqda has been developed and the fine details are being finalized. This will, in turn, provide more racing opportunities for horse owners, trainers, and jockeys and realize the foreseen benefits of this facility in line with the state's strategy in general and QREC's strategy in particular and in favor of the public good." (QNA)