Sports | Tuesday 20 January, 2015 11:14 am |

Meydan Pillar Partner and Official Timekeeper, Swiss watchmaker, Longines recently presented the opening US$915,000 Dubai World Cup Carnival card of 2015, a meeting highlighted by the first rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge races for Purebred Arabians and Thoroughbreds and the Listed Singspiel Stakes.

The exciting meeting commenced with the evening’s only Purebred Arabian race, the $55,000 Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge over the mile which was won by Athbah Stud’s horse, Bigg N Rich (US) and was followed later in the card by the featured equivalent $250,000 Group 2 race for Thoroughbreds that witnessed Zabeel Racing International Corp’s horse, Surfer (USA) emerge victorious. Subsequently, the $150,000 Listed Singspiel Stakes over 1800m took place on the newly-opened turf and Godolphin’s True Story (GB) was crowned the winner.
Each of the three-rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge are used as races in preparation for the $1m Dubai Kahayla Classic for Purebred Arabians and the $10m Dubai World Cup for Thoroughbreds.

The inauguration of the 10-meeting Dubai World Cup Carnival sets in motion the countdown to the 20th running of the Dubai World Cup also known as the World’s Richest Race, which this year will be held on Saturday, March 28th at Meydan.

Longines’ passion for equestrian sports dates back to 1878, with the design of a chronograph featuring an engraved jockey and his mount. In 1912 the brand is partnering for the first time with an international show-jumping competition in Portugal. This involvement continues today as, in addition to endurance riding, Longines is also committed in show jumping and horseracing. As a tribute to the chronographs produced from 1878 on, Longines’ striking and elegant Conquest Classic was the official timepiece for the exhilarating evening.
In true Longines’ style, elegance was prevalent at the Opening event that set the stage for the run up to the World’s Richest Race.