United Arab Emirates halts racing amid Iran conflict
Horse racing in the United Arab Emirates has been temporarily suspended after escalating conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel disrupted the region and forced authorities to cancel scheduled meetings.
Saturday’s Meydan card went ahead as planned, but officials later abandoned Sunday’s meeting at Jebel Ali after Iran reportedly launched ballistic missile attacks targeting several Gulf states. The Emirates Racing Authority halted further racing as security concerns intensified across the region.
The suspension casts doubt over the 30th running of the Dubai World Cup, the centrepiece of the Dubai Racing Carnival scheduled for March 28 at Meydan. International travel has also been severely affected after flights at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International were suspended, leaving several jockeys and trainers stranded.
UK trainers Simon and Ed Crisford enjoyed a treble at Meydan before the disruption, while top jockey William Buick rode a double including victory aboard Rebel’s Romance in the Group 2 Dubai City Of Gold.
Officials are yet to confirm when racing in the UAE will resume as tensions across the Gulf continue to escalate.
