The Sheikh  Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival's calendar of events for the year 2016 was unveiled at the Anantara Eastern.

Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) said the Festival's feature event will once again be the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Crown Jewel IPIC, a Group 1 race worth Euros 1.2 million and the richest ever for Purebred Arabians.

"The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Crown Jewel-IPIC race will be held on Nov.6, 2016 and all the Festival's events are held under the directives of Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs," she said.

"We have already started the international racing with races in Oman and Australia while last week's Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Listed Cup to be run on the St Moritz ice track in Switzerland was put off due to weather and will be run on Feb.21," she added.

"While the Festival's flat-racing will visit new racing venues in Beirut, Lebanon and Rome, Italy, the Darley Awards Stakes at Santa Anita in the US with prize -money of $100,000 will carry the name of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, Chairwoman of General Women's Union and Chairwoman of Motherhood, Childhood Supreme Council," she said.

Sawaya also stated that the festival will sponsor Arabian Horse Beauty Shows in the name of Sheikh Zayed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan exclusively in Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Lebanon with the support of National Feed.
"We will be racing for the first time in Capannelle, Rome while Beirut in Lebanon will be one of the venues for the Sheikh Zayed series. The race-day in Duindigt will be in tribute to late WJ de Ruiter, the Arabian racing chief in The Netherands who has passed away recently.

"The Festival will also visit the Gold Coast for the first time, three races including the first listed Arabian race in Australia," she said.

There will also be 61 Wathba Stud Farm Cup races and Michigan has entered this series as a new venue while there will be a Euro 20,000 race for Wathba Stud Farm Cup in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"We have reduced races in some countries and added new countries. We have added new prizes after separating the professionals from the amateurs in the Sheikha Fatima Ladies race series and there will be a prize for the apprentice ladies also," she said.