Horse racing season has begun in the United Arab Emirates, home to some of the world’s best racing and training facilities, and the wealthiest owners.
If you’ve been to the races elsewhere in the world, you’ll feel at home at the racetracks in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (Meydan and Jebel Ali), where events are run to international rules. But some expats will notice that two key ingredients are missing (or difficult to find): alcoholic beverages and ontrack betting.
When in Abu Dhabi, many choose to go to the AD Golf Club, on the far side of the racetrack, where you can enjoy live jazz music, a meal with a drink, and the chance of a small flutter based on a pool system (though not actual odds-based gambling, which is illegal).
You can watch the races start, but you have to watch the big screen televisions to see the horses reach the finish line.
A typical card begins at 5pm and has six races, some involving only purebred Arabian horses and others the more familiar thoroughbreds.
Many of the horses are owned by members of the United Arab Emirates royal families, and the jockeys and trainers come from Ireland, the UK, the US and Australia.
For the comfort of everyone, especially the horses and jockeys, meetings are held only in the winter months (November to March).
You ca find a full 2016-17 racing calendar for the UAE, including events in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain, here.
