An ever-changing global equine landscape demands fresh thinking, innovation and a clear vision to evolve and thrive, even if you are the original trailblazers.
The Dubai Racing Club, so often the front runners when it comes to brave new ideas, recognised the need for evolution at the close of a season which, by majority consensus, was filed under the heading, successful.
Standing still and maintaining a status quo can often lead to regression and, as Major General Dr. Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, the Executive Director of Dubai Racing Club, eloquently points out, that is not an option for the DRC.
“We are coming from a very rich and successful history with Dubai Racing Club and Meydan Grandstand where we believe we have taken things step by step to progress and improve with great support from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,” said Dr. Al Adhab.
“With the direction from the board, we are expecting to have a completely different season where we have restructured a lot of things, and we believe that all these changes are going to help to provide a different and successful season.”
Those changes mean there will be no differentiation made between the domestic and international halves of the campaign as the new-look Dubai Racing Carnival promises a season-long extravaganza of racing that will witness the local equine population competing against their global rivals from the very outset this Friday.
Dr. Al Adhab continued: “What we believe here in Dubai and at the Dubai Racing Club as a racing identity and organising committee is the need to understand and appreciate the level of movement that is happening both within the country and the region. We felt that Dubai has led racing in the region for many, many years and we need to maintain that leadership and the motivation to be the best.
“That is why we started our evaluation process at the end of the previous season to understand what is happening with our sport and come up with the right way for us to improve and develop. As always, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed was there to guide us, the hand which led us to reach the levels we have.
“We always have the full support of His Highness, especially with big decisions like we have taken recently with the restructuring.
“The Dubai Carnival is one of the oldest Carnivals, not only in the region but in the world. So, when we decided as a management to make the changes then, to be honest that within ourselves, it was a little bit of a scary environment.
“But as soon as we raised it with His Highness, he was one hundred per cent supportive of the decision. He said, ‘This is a good initiative and it is made with the best of intentions for the rest of the horse racing community and that’s why we are supporting you one hundred per cent’. It is a big responsibility for us, as a team, but we can promise the horse racing community that we are going to give everyone an exciting season.”
The Dubai Racing Club and Meydan have played host to the best equine talent seen globally in the last three decades - in an ever-evolving equine environment one constant remains: the ability to attract the world’s premier horses.
“It is a journey of 27 or 28 years to get to where we are today. Every season there is a different story, a different challenge, a different way of working,” added Dr Al Adhab.
“Our journey is a rich one with all of the history, but we are evaluating ourselves each and every day in order to improve.
“The team here worked hard to get the best horse in the world in Equinox to run here in Dubai last spring.
“We believe Dubai is one of the major racing destinations worldwide and that’s why this is happening; the best horses are running here in Dubai.”
And what about the best jockeys too?
“We would welcome Frankie (Dettori) with open arms. He is one of the most famous names and Dubai was a big part of his story.
“We will always welcome Frankie back to his ‘home’ again.”
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