Dubai Duty Free Spring trials begin on Friday

DUBAI: Dubai Duty Free’s (DDF) longstanding association with British horse racing continues with the world-renowned airport retailer’s return to Newbury Racecourse for Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials weekend taking place on April 12-13.

The Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials weekend is widely regarded as an early season pointer towards stars in the making and heralds the start of the Flat season at Newbury Racecourse.

Featuring three Group 3 contests, the fixture routinely sees classic hopefuls establish their credentials, and recent winners at the meeting include subsequent Group 1 Sussex Stakes winner, Kingman, and the mighty Frankel.

Last year’s meeting saw a winning racecourse debut for Lord Lloyd-webber’s exciting filly Lah Ti Dah and the seasonal reappearance Call To Mind in the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes who went on to carry the colours of Her Majesty The Queen to victory stateside in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup seting a course record for the two-miles trip at Belmont Park in the process.

Defoe, who beat Call To Mind into fourth place in the Newbury Group 3 event went on to claim a Group 2 contest at Newmarket the following month, while future Epsom Derby contender, Young Rascal, established a liking for Newbury notching up his first career victory before inaugurating an Autumn Group 3 double at the Berkshire track when returning to take the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup in September.

Colm Mcloughlin, Dubai Duty Free’s Execitive Vice Chairman & CEO said: “We sponsored our first race at Newbury in April 1996 and we have been delighted to grow our portfolio here to include title sponsorship at two meetings.

“During that time we have celebrated many milestones including record turnover in 2018 when we broke the $2bn barrier for the first time.”