The Meydan Group has announced that it will this year again team up with the Municipal Government of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in South West China, to stage the second running of the Chengdu Dubai International Cup race day. The race meeting, to be held Apr. 3 at Jinma racecourse, in China's Wenjiang District, will be organized under the Emirates Racing Authority's rules of racing–a signatory to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. Race fields will consist of horses transported from the UAE to Chengdu and shipped back afterwards. Five turf races over distances from 1400 to 2418 meters will be contested by horses prepared by Dubai Racing Club trainers and ridden by jockeys who take part in the UAE race season and the Dubai World Cup Carnival. The feature race will be presented by Longines.
A spokesperson for the Wenjiang District Government said, “China's long and storied history is closely tied to the horse and we are pleased that this passion for the horse continues to this day. Last year we became a part of history as the partnership with the UAE brought international racing to the District of Wenjiang with the first Chengdu Dubai International Cup. Now we prepare for the second running of this race day as we develop the sport of horse racing in China. We are proud of this event and our bond that has grown between the District of Wenjiang, the Emirate of Dubai and the wider United Arab Emirates.”
Malih Al Basti, Meydan Group Board Member and Chairman of Meydan Racing Committee commented, “Following the success of the 2014 Chengdu Dubai International Cup race day we are happy to announce our return to China for a second year. The strategic partnership that was forged between Meydan Group and the Chinese authorities for developing the sport of Thoroughbred racing in mainland China has opened up important channels of communication and this is something that we will continue to support and develop.”
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.