As many as 10 high-profile races will take place at Al Rayyan Racecourse on Saturday.
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC) will stage a major race meeting on Saturday, featuring the H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle Day.
The ten-race card will be run on the turf track at Al Rayyan Racecourse, with strong participation from owners, trainers and jockeys, all eager to secure top honours in what is regarded as one of the major fixtures of the current domestic racing season.
The meeting comes just weeks ahead of the highly anticipated H H The Amir Sword Festival, scheduled to take place from 11 to 14 February 2026.
Saturday’s programme comprises ten races over varying distances and categories.The opener is run for the Na’ama Trophy for local Purebred Arabian fillies and mares over 1750m, offering $100,000. The following contest is the Desert Rose Cup for local Thoroughbred fillies and mares over the same distance, also valued at $100,000.
The next event on the programme is the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Sprint Trophy for Thoroughbreds over 1200m, with $50,000 on offer. It is followed by another H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy, restricted to three-year-old Thoroughbreds over 1400m, carrying $50,000.The mid-card contest is the HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for local Thoroughbreds over 1750m, worth $55,000.
A later supporting race is the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for Thoroughbreds over 1400m, offering $50,000.Attention then turns to the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for Purebred Arabians over 1750m, with $50,000 available, followed by the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for Purebred Arabians restricted to four-year-olds over the same distance, valued at $100,000.
The penultimate race on the card is an international contest, the HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for Purebred Arabians (Class 1 – Group 3 PA) over 2200m, with a purse of $100,000.
The finale, and main event of the meeting, is run for the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle for Thoroughbreds (Class 1) over 2200m, carrying $100,000. Victory in this race secures qualification for the Shalfa race at the H H The Amir Sword Festival next month.
Aafoor last season’s Rifle winner
Last season’s renewal of this meeting was staged at Al Uqda Racecourse for the first time, rather than at Al Rayyan as is customary. The feature race, run for the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle, was won by Aafoor, owned by Al Jeryan Stud, in the Class 1 contest for Thoroughbreds aged four years and above over 2200m. The winner was trained by M.H.K Al Attiyah and ridden by Szczepan Mazur.
Earlier in the programme, Abbes delivered another highlight when the Wathnan Racing runner claimed the HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for Purebred Arabians, the four-year-old international contest over 2200m, extending his winning streak in the Group 3 PA race to a third consecutive success under James Doyle for trainer Alban de Mieulle.
