Al Rayyan will once again become the beating heart of the region’s racing world on Friday, February 13, as the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club stages Day 3 of the 50th H.H. The Amir Sword Festival – Far Bend. There is something special about the third afternoon of a major festival. The opening nerves have settled, the grand finale still waits ahead, and yet the competition sharpens. Between 3:00pm and 7:05pm, eight races will unfold in a program that blends prestige, heritage and serious prize money, led by the evening’s showpiece – the $400,000 AL RAYYAN BREEDERS CUP.
Celebrating its golden jubilee, the H.H. The Amir Sword Festival stands as Qatar’s flagship racing event and one of the most significant fixtures in the international Purebred Arabian calendar. Staged over four days from 11 February to 14 February, the festival reflects the nation’s deep equestrian roots and its growing global influence in the sport. Day 3 will carry that legacy forward with a card that balances local pride with international firepower.
The action will begin sharply at 3:00pm with Race 1 – the THOROUGHBRED SPRINT CUP. This Class 2 contest for horses rated 80–100, open to four-year-olds and above, will see 11 runners charge over 1200m for $100,000. On the Far Bend track, early speed will be decisive, and the opening sprint will immediately set a competitive tone for the afternoon.
At 3:35pm, Race 2 – the PUREBRED ARABIAN 4YO CUP – will bring a shift in rhythm. Six runners will line up over 1750m in this Class 2 event, chasing a purse of $120,000. The focus will move from sheer pace to measured stamina as emerging four-year-old Arabians attempt to stamp their authority on festival day.
The momentum will continue at 4:10pm with Race 3 – the PUREBRED ARABIAN FILLY AND MARE SEADA CUP. Twelve runners will contest this 1750m Class 2 feature worth $110,000. Fillies and mares will command the spotlight, and with a full field assembled, positioning and patience will likely define the outcome.
Race 4 at 4:45pm will mirror that intensity with the THOROUGHBRED FILLY AND MARE ORYX CUP. Fourteen runners, the largest field on the card, will tackle 1750m for another $110,000. With numbers comes complexity, and the Far Bend will demand tactical precision from both jockeys and trainers.
At 5:20pm, the international dimension will rise further with Race 5 – the GULF CUP – PUREBRED ARABIAN BRED IN GCC. This Class 1 contest over 1600m carries $120,000 in prize money and features 13 runners. As an international race, it will showcase regional breeding strength and competitive depth from across the Gulf.
The tempo will lift again at 5:55pm for Race 6 – the PUREBRED ARABIAN SPRINT CUP. A Class 1 Listed international contest over 1200m, it offers a substantial $200,000 purse and brings together 13 high-calibre contenders. The line-up reads like a roll call of global talent: Al Khbaib with Faleh Bughenaim for Jean de Mieulle; Al Sij Al Sakab partnered by Soufiane Saadi for Jassim Hamad Al-Atteya; Hamas La Gloire under Tom Marquand for Hamad Al-Jehani; and Posuelo Py ridden by Pierre Charles Boudot, also for Al-Jehani.
International stars such as Christophe Soumillon on Rasasi, Maxime Guyon on Shgarde, and Lukas Delozier aboard Nah’ash Al Shahania will add further depth. With trainers representing Qatar and the UAE, this sprint will promise explosive fractions and world-class execution.
Race 7 – the AL ZUBARA CUP – will follow at 6:30pm, a 2000m Class 1 test for local Purebred Arabians, carrying $200,000.
Seven runners will line up, including Al Mutaghatris with Tom Marquand for Julian Colin Smart, Razika under James Doyle for Alban Elie De Mieulle, and Zah’ran Al Shahania partnered by Pierre Charles Boudot for Hamad Al-Jehani. Over the longer trip, stamina and timing will be critical as connections aim to secure one of the afternoon’s richest prizes.
Then, as twilight settles over Al Rayyan, attention will turn to Race 8 – the AL RAYYAN BREEDERS CUP at 7:05pm. This 2000m Local Thoroughbred Class 1 feature, with $400,000 in prize money, will stand as the headline act of Day 3.
Nine runners will contest the crown. Al Faisal with Maxime Guyon for Khalifa Hamed Nasser Al Sawai, Al Jaish under Faleh Bughenaim for Jean de Mieulle, and Equinoxe partnered by James Doyle for Alban Elie De Mieulle will all aim to command the spotlight.
Rayyan Bu Thaila with Tom Marquand, Royalty with Jefferson Smith, and Saida ridden by Saleh Faraj Al-Otaibi will further strengthen a field where every move will matter. Over 2000m, endurance and composure will decide who claims the richest prize of the day.
As Day 3 unfolds, the 50th H.H. The Amir Sword Festival will continue to demonstrate why it stands at the summit of Qatar’s racing calendar. And with one more day still to come, Qatar Racecards 13 February will serve as both a crescendo and a promise – that the golden jubilee celebration of Qatar’s most prestigious racing festival is far from over.
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