Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) racing season 2024-2025, featuring 69 race days, will kick off at the Al Rayyan Racecorse on November 6 and will run till May 7, 2025.The 543-race season will begin with Al Beshariyah Cup Day and conclude with the Ain Khaled Cup Day. The season was initially scheduled to start about two weeks earlier, but the start was postponed due to the ongoing renovation of Al Rayyan turf track.Out of the 69 race meetings, 47 to be held at Al Rayyan racecourse and 22 at Al Uqda racecourse. Five of the race days originally scheduled for Al Rayyan have been moved to Al Uqda due to the ongoing renovation of Al Rayyan turf track.“We always strive for what is best and most suitable for the value and standing of Qatar’s horse racing, which has reached a global level”, said Abdullah al-Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager.“This is evident in Qatar’s sponsorship of some of the most prestigious and significant international race events, as well as the quality of races held in Doha, some of which see extensive international participation, especially during the HH The Amir Sword Festival. Some adjustments have been made to the new season programme due to the ongoing renovation of Al Rayyan turf track. Therefore, some race days in the early weeks will be moved from Al Rayyan to Al Uqda.The Key sponsors are Social & Sport Contribution Fund (DAAM) and Longines. According to the revised racing programme, Wednesday races will be conducted as planned on the sand track at Al Rayyan with no changes. However, the race days initially scheduled for every Thursday on Al Rayyan turf track will be moved to Al Uqda turf track and each of them will be held over two days (Thursday and Saturday) each week.There will be four, and at times five, races winding up with the cup race on Thursday, with the remaining four races taking place on Saturday. This arrangement will apply to the first five race days of the season until Al Rayyan turf track is fully prepared.The first race day on Al Rayyan turf track is scheduled for 14 December, featuring the Late Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Al Thani Trophy Day. After that, races will continue on Al Rayyan turf track as scheduled for the rest of the season.Aside from these adjustments, the major race days throughout the season will remain unchanged as initially scheduled in the season’s programme.The QREC’s biggest annual event, the HH The Amir Sword Festival, will begin on February 13, 2025 and will run for three days at Al Rayyan. The final day, February 15, will host the season’s most prestigious and richest races, namely, the HH The Amir Sword, a Group 1 for purebred Arabians, and the HH The Amir Trophy, a QA Group 1 for thoroughbreds.In addition to the HH The Amir Sword Festival, several major race meetings will be held throughout the season, including the Late Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Al Thani Trophy on December 14, the Qatar International Derby on December 27, the HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy on January 2, 2025, the HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy on March 13, the HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle on January 18 and the Qatar Gold Sword on April 10.