At Sports City racetrack in Latakia, 16 horses are entered for the President's Cup race on Friday, October 9. The two-day UAE-Syrian festival runs through Saturday, October 10, as the series reaches its 16th stop in its 33rd edition.
SANA reports that veterinary checks include measuring horses' temperatures, assessing their movement and screening for signs of infectious disease before they are admitted to the venue.
A new stop with a defined programme
The Cup field includes Sanad Al Aref, Victor Damaskos, Muhib Al Aref and Awad Al Khaled. Also entered are Sultan Al Khatib, Habib Al Kutub, I'sar Al Shabbak, Ward Al Kour, Baghdad Al Shabbak, Rami Al Suriya, Shibl Al Lugh, Al Hajjaj H, Ward Al Mahaini, Fahd Al Kour, Zain Al Waad and Douma Al Ezz. The source describes the horses as having an established presence in local races.
Beyond the 16 horses entered in the Cup race, SANA reports that the wider festival programme is expected to involve about 160 horses across 10 races on the first day and roughly 90-100 horses in five races on the second.
Organisers frame the meeting as a development opportunity
Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri, chairman of the Cup series' organising committee, said Syria's inclusion extends the series across Arab and international venues. Al Ittihad reported that he called the addition of Syria an "important addition" to the series' history and said it would create more opportunities for owners and breeders.
Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri also said the festival's two-day programme could support cooperation and contact. Specialists from Syria's Ministry of Agriculture and the Syrian Arab Equestrian Federation are carrying out veterinary checks, SANA reports. The horses will be monitored daily, with examinations before they enter the venue and at the Latakia track.
The Cup's first Syrian meeting is scheduled to feature 16 horses in the Cup race and 15 races across the wider festival. The programme runs over two days, October 9 and 10, at Sports City racetrack in Latakia.
