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Purses Increased For 2023-2024 Meydan Racing Season As More Changes Announced

Purses will rise 27% during the 2023-2024 Dubai racing season at Meydan Racecourse, the Dubai Racing Club announced earlier this week.

The new minimum purse of AED165,000 will be for non-stakes races, while all Group 1 races will be increased to a purse of at least AED1 million. The prize-money of $30.5 million on Dubai World Cup night will remain unchanged. In addition, all Meydan cards will feature nine races except for the first two.

Other changes revealed by the DRC include two new feature race nights: Festive Friday on Dec. 22 and Fashion Friday on Jan. 26, while Super Saturday will be held on Mar. 2, and Dubai World Cup night is set for Mar. 30. Racing at Meydan begins on Friday, Nov. 10.

“The DRC management and board have decided to reshape racing in Dubai, to improve sustainability in line with what is happening in the region,” said Major General Dr. Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, Executive Director of Dubai Racing Club. “Today, many countries are going along with Dubai and the UAE by using racing to showcase their development, a journey which Dubai started much earlier.

“The Dubai Racing Carnival has now become the whole season. Horses can now come to Dubai from the start of the season until the Dubai World Cup.”

Stephanie Cooley, International Manager for DRC, added, “From an international perspective, we still have our quarantine facilities, plus trainers also have the option of shifting over to a local stable. It's a more condensed season but we have retained all of the feature races and aligned them more with some of the bigger races in the region.”

British horses will also now have more travel options when visiting the Middle East.

“Horses trained in the UK have the option of 90 days temporary import, with the option of going in and out,” said Erwan Charpy, Advisor to the DRC. “They can also come on a permanent import and go back with a 30-day quarantine or go back as temporary import. There are discussions to get England to line up with the regulations in the European Union, as since Brexit there is almost no problem with horses going back to the EU without quarantine on a permanent import.

“The import certificate was previously just for the Dubai Racing Club, but now it is for the Middle East, which allows for more freedom of movement.”

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Godolphin Flying Start Celebrates 20th Anniversary

The Godolphin Flying Start programme celebrated its 20th anniversary with an alumni award ceremony and conference at the Legacy Suite at the K Club on June 29.

The conference, “Impact and Influence”, attracted over 100 graduates from around the world. During the prelude, the focus was on His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin Charitable Initiatives led by Godolphin Flying Start Chair Joe Osborne. Diana Cooper, Godolphin's Strategic Adviser for Charities was also among the speakers, as was Lisa Jane Graffard (Class of 2005). Class of 2008 alum Gina Bryce hosted the conference.

Other speakers during the evening included GFS Executive Director Clodagh Kavanagh; CEO of CPL, Lorna Conn; entrepreneur Heinrich Anhold, founder of Stable Lab; Cathal Beale, CEO of the Irish National Stud (Class of 2010); Anna Jones, author of the book “Divide”; and Michael Hardy (2012).

The award winners of the night were:

Rising Star Leadership Award: Annise Montplaisir (2021), the Executive Director of Amplify Horseracing
Rising Star Business Award: Tim Donworth (2018), French trainer
Leadership Excellence Award: Craig Rounsefell (2007), CEO of Boomer Bloodstock and Chair of the Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia
Business Excellence Award: Gary King (2010), Senior Vice-President, Thoroughbred Daily News & President of TDN AusNZ.

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Derby Protestor Spared Jail Time After 18-Week Sentence Suspended

Ben Newman, who was filmed running onto the Epsom Downs course after the Derby had started and was subsequently apprehended by security in June, was spared jail time after his 18 weeks of imprisonment was suspended for two years, Sky Sports reported on Thursday. The defendant, 32 and part of protest group Animal Rising, was also fined a total of £1,356.

The defendant entered a guilty plea at Guildford Crown Court for causing a public nuisance. The judge criticised Newman for “endangering” the lives of police and security stationed around the course. Epsom Downs obtained an injunction banning Animal Rising prior to the Derby Festival. Newman was one of 31 people arrested on the day of the race.

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Berkshire Phantom Claims Top Spot At Tattersalls Online July Sale

The two-time winner Berkshire Phantom (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) (lot 19) caught the eye of Fionn McSharry and brought a sale-topping price of 28,000gns at the close of the Tattersalls Online July Sale on Thursday.

The 88-rated gelded son of Italian Group 3 winner Silver Step (Fr) (Silver Frost {Ire}) was consigned by Andrew Balding's Park House Stables. His extended family features stakes-winning German gallopers Network (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and Novello (Ger) (Esclavo {Fr}).

McSharry said, “As a new trainer we are hoping to get some nice runs from him, and we hope he might deliver some Saturday wins. He will come straight into training and we would be aiming to keep him over a similar distance. The horse has some good form at seven furlongs so we will get him home, assess him and see where we get to.”

Garrettstown House Stables' Anadora (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) was knocked down to Anadora Partners for 17,500gns to be second on the leaderboard. Sold as lot 27, the 4-year-old filly sports wins on both turf and all-weather to date. She is out of the listed-placed Keladora (Crafty Prospector), herself a daughter of stakes winner and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches second Karmifira (Fr) (Always Fair).

Rounding out the top four were a pair of lots by Cotai Glory (GB)–lot 10, Knockeen Racing's winning 80-rated filly Cosmic Invasion (Ire), and Richard Fahey's Musley Bank Stables-consigned Gannon Glory (Ire) (lot 15), who won just three days ago. The former sold to Kilross Bloodstock for 12,500gns, while the latter went for 13,500gns to Paul Naughton.

Of the 32 lots offered, 18 sold (56%) for a gross of 127,505gns. The average was 7,084gns and the median was 4,500gns.

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