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Gulf Review 2019-20 Because of the onset of Covid19, racing in the Gulf states concluded earlier than usual, dashing all hopes of an extended season in the UAE. Nonetheless many of the major championships were secured by some familiar faces in the UAE and Qatar where there is no distinction between races run for thoroughbreds and Arabians.
UAE In the UAE racing came to a halt on March 22, leaving the celebrations for a 25th Dubai World Cup postponed and six further meetings cancelled in what had been planned as an extended season. The final fixture was an all thoroughbred card at Jebel Ali on March 20, held nearly a week after the Emirates Championship (Gr1PA) and Round 3 of the Arabian Triple Crown (Gr3PA) had been run at Abu Dhabi. In another successful season for Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, he recorded his
third owners’ championship with 33 winners, five ahead of the Godolphin team and seven ahead of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. To add perspective, he had won the title last season with 53 winners, so the loss of the new fixtures, will have impacted on the overall results. Not least the eagerly anticipated return to the track of his 2019 Dubai Kahayla Classic winner AF Maher, who was expected to defend his title on his seasonal debut and was due to go head to head with another former winner in Tallaab Al Khalediah.
THE ARABIAN RACEHORSE
