Qatar moving forward with global ambitions: ‘we want to be one of the leaders’

Douglas Whyte has always spoken fondly of his time spent in Qatar and, after visiting their recent showcase race meeting, the H.H. The Amir Sword Festival, it’s easy to see why.

It’s a misty but humid Thursday morning, and Whyte is pulling Russian Emperor out of his palatial quarantine stables at Al Rayyan racecourse for a final tune-up before the son of Galileo bids to defend his H.H. The Amir Trophy (2,400m) crown.

Both the horse and his trainer are much calmer figures among the backdrop of the Khalifa International Stadium and The Torch in comparison to the hustle and bustle of a Tuesday morning at Sha Tin.

A smattering of people, largely comprised of stable staff, connections and various workers constructing a temporary hospitality pavilion, put the finishing touches on, undoubtedly, the best three days of racing the country has ever seen.

Qatar has quickly become a significant player in sporting circles, and the 2022 Fifa World Cup set a sizeable benchmark for what the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s chief executive, Bader bin Mohamed al-Darwish, wants to achieve.

“For sure, [the Fifa World Cup] has made a big difference,” Al-Darwish says. “Racing in Qatar has improved a lot. It’s now one of the biggest races in the Middle East, and we want to be one of the leaders in the world and the [Gulf Cooperation Council].”

As examples of the state’s growing influence, Siobhan Haughey’s historic performance at the World Aquatics Championships takes place a stone’s throw from Al Rayyan racecourse, and some of the best women tennis players battle it out in the WTA Qatar Open just a 15-minute drive from the racecourse.

While the depth of equine athlete on display at the Sword Festival is not in the same league as the human equivalent at the other events, the three-day racing bonanza is not short of quality.

Eight of the 11 runners in the feature Amir Trophy have won at Group One or Two level previously, while Al-Darwish says the pick of the purebred Arabians on display are “the strongest horses to come in maybe the last 20 years.”

The week begins slowly with a small attendance for Thursday’s eight-race all-sand card, while a few more make the journey for the second day, consisting of 10 races.

The absence of alcohol and betting creates a different atmosphere from a typical Sha Tin or Happy Valley meeting. A relaxed and elegant ambience fills the quaint racecourse, with a selection of speciality coffee stalls, local art pieces and, arguably, the world’s biggest inflatable castle entertaining the local contingent.

Despite the lack of punters screaming home a well-backed favourite, there is a small buzz among the grandstand, and the decibel level is taken up a notch when the crowd is treated to a top-class piece of half-time entertainment.

Instead of waiting half an hour between races – or having to endure the howling of some so-called singer at a Happy Wednesday – those in attendance get the pleasure of roaring home a horse in the Al Messila races.

Not advertised in the racecard, the Al Messila races consist of two local lads, who train a handful of horses, hurtling down the dirt track in a cat-and-mouse style 400m match race for purebred Arabians.

There is rapturous applause after the tactical two-furlong contest, with a small collection of the admiring younger fan base launching their traditional ghutra headdress high into the rows behind in celebration.

Various members of the ruling family of Qatar are well-established as owner-breeders on the international racing scene.

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is behind the big ownership vehicle Wathnan Racing, while his brother Shiekh Joaan is the principal of Al Shaqab Racing and the siblings are cousins to Sheikh Fahad of Qatar Racing.

They may be on an all-conquering global mission overseas, but in their homeland, the mega-money owners race for something that means more to them than cash. Pride.

The Qatari people share an unequivocal admiration and respect for horses. While some of the jurisdiction’s practices may hold them back from reaching the world-leading level they aspire to be – for instance, several local trainers work their horses in the evening to fit around busy day-jobs – the racing product is authentic and certainly heading in the right direction.