Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Hosts H E Sheikh Joaan Rifle Day

The Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC) is set to host a significant racing event on Saturday, featuring the H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle Day. This major race meeting will take place on the turf track at Al Rayyan Racecourse, attracting a robust field of owners, trainers, and jockeys all aiming for prestigious victories in one of the highlights of the domestic racing calendar.

With just weeks remaining until the much-anticipated H H The Amir Sword Festival, scheduled for February 11 to 14, 2026, the atmosphere is electric. The event on Saturday will showcase ten races, each with varying distances and categories, appealing to a wide range of participants and spectators.

The opening race of the day, the Na’ama Trophy, will feature local Purebred Arabian fillies and mares running over 1750 meters for a prize of $100,000. Following this, the Desert Rose Cup for local Thoroughbred fillies and mares will also cover the same distance and carries an identical purse of $100,000.

The programme continues with the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Sprint Trophy, where Thoroughbreds will compete over 1200 meters for $50,000. This will be succeeded by another event named after H E Sheikh Joaan, reserved for three-year-old Thoroughbreds over 1400 meters, also valued at $50,000. The mid-card highlight is the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for local Thoroughbreds over 1750 meters, offering $55,000.

Later in the day, attention will shift to the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for Purebred Arabians, which will run over 1750 meters for a purse of $50,000. This will be followed by a race for four-year-old Purebred Arabians over the same distance, boasting a prize of $100,000.

The penultimate race is an international contest, the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for Purebred Arabians (Class 1 – Group 3 PA), covering 2200 meters with a purse of $100,000. The final event and the marquee race of the day is the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle for Thoroughbreds (Class 1), also over 2200 meters, carrying $100,000. A win in this race guarantees qualification for the Shalfa race at the upcoming H H The Amir Sword Festival.

Last year’s meeting marked a shift as it was held at Al Uqda Racecourse for the first time, deviating from the traditional Al Rayyan venue. The feature race, the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle, was claimed by Aafoor, owned by Al Jeryan Stud. This Class 1 contest for Thoroughbreds aged four years and older saw Aafoor cross the finish line, trained by M.H.K Al Attiyah and ridden by jockey Szczepan Mazur.

Earlier in the programme, another standout performance came from Abbes, who won the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for Purebred Arabians. The four-year-old international contest over 2200 meters marked Abbes’ third consecutive victory in the Group 3 PA race, underlining the talent of both the horse and trainer Alban de Mieulle, with jockey James Doyle in the saddle.

As the excitement builds for the H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle Day, all eyes will be on the track this Saturday, where the spirit of competition and the passion for racing will take center stage.