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Arabian horses make debut in Ireland The Arabian horse will take centre stage at the Curragh Racecourse as the County Kildare venue hosts the first leg of the His Highness the President of the UAE Cup series for Purebred Arabian horses on Saturday and Sunday. The races will be run as part of the Irish Classics in which the best Thoroughbred horses and jockeys in Europe compete over two days in the Abu Dhabi Irish Guineas Festival. The Emirates Equestrian Federation is to sponsor The Irish Guineas Festival for the next five years and this year the festival will get off to a flying start with the Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday and the Etihad Airways Irish 1,000 Guineas on Sunday. Both the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas will run in conjunction with the first leg of the His Highness the President of UAE Cup, a series of races for Purebred Arabians. The series will also include races at Ascot and Newmarket in the UK, Moscow in Russia, Saint Cloud in Paris and Keeneland in the US. The HH the President Cup is held under the directives of His Highness the President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the support of His Excellency General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the Executive Committee, and the follow-up of His Excellency Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Emirates Equestrian Federation to promote the Arabian breed and to stimulate international interest and to promote tourism. Taleb Dhaher Al Muhairi, Secretary General of the Emirates Equestrian Federation, thanked Dr. Sheikh Sultan for his continued backing and follow up. “The wide participation of the national companies and government agencies in the Abu Dhabi Irish Guineas Festival coupled with the big number of horses which have been declared for the races reflects the success of the event before it takes off”, he added. “The exceptionally expected huge attendance of race lovers will add more elements of success and excitement for the races. There’s no doubt about the fact that horse races are particularly popular in this beautiful island. I would like to thank Etihad Airways for their support and it’s a team work and a collective effort that underlines the importance of our mission.” The whole weekend of racing will have a distinctly Arabic flavour. Other partners include Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Etihad Airways, and Office of the Brand of Abu Dhabi. The partners hope to further strengthen Irish-Arabian relations and to promote Abu Dhabi as an attractive tourism and commercial hub. During the Guineas Weekend, many elements of the Emirati life and culture will also be showcased. The new garden enclosure adjacent to the parade ring will feature a Guineas Festival Shopping Village, while Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority will have a major Arabic themed marquee promoting the capital of the UAE as a major tourism destination and race goers will be offered the chance to win a holiday including 5-star accommodation and flights by Etihad Airways. The President of the UAE Cup Series was established 15 years ago by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nayhan to promote and celebrate the Arabian horse globally.   View Photo 1View Photo 2View Photo 3View Photo 4