SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2026
ABOUT THE RACES
H.H. The Amir Sword Festival is the high point of the Qatar racing calendar and each year puts Qatar firmly in the international sporting spotlight.
This high-profile race meeting features the running of two of Qatar’s most thrilling races of the season H.H. The Amir Trophy presented by Longines & H.H. The Amir Sword.
Qatar’s premier racing event has become a drawcard for international owners and trainers and provides an opportunity for racegoers and visitors to witness some of the horseracing’s elite equine athletes in action.
Thoroughbreds and Pure Arabian horses from around the world will gather at Al Rayyan Racecourse to battle it out for a stake of the US $10 million prize money and to cement their names in history.
INTERNATIONAL RACE CONDITIONS
International races are free to enter. Entries will close on Thursday 18th December 2025 at 4:00pm local time.
Supplementary entries will close on Sunday 25th January 2026 at 4:00pm local time.
Declarations will close on Monday 9th February 2026 at 9:00am local time.
The declaration to run fees are due by the time of declaration (Monday 9th February 2026 at 9:00am local time).
IRISH THOROUGHBRED MARKETING CUP
(INTERNATIONAL LISTED RACE / QA GR2 )
SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2026
FOR NORTHERN HEMISPHERE - 4 YEARS OLD AND UP AND SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE 3 - YEARS OLD AND UP | ABOUT 1600M (1M) | TURF
US $500,000
1st $285,000
2nd $110,000
3rd $55,000
4th $30,000
5th $20,000
Maximum number of runners 16.
Weights
Colts and Geldings to carry 58kg.
Fillies and mares will receive 2kg sex allowance.
Southern Hemisphere 3yo to carry 55kg.
Horses rated less than 90 by the QREC handicapper are NOT eligible.
Local Bred Allowance will NOT be applicable.
LAST YEARS WINNER GENERAL PANIC (GB)
TRAINED BY IBRAHIM SAEED AL MALKI | RIDDEN BY TOMAS LUKASEK
LAST YEARS WINNER AL WAKRAH (FR)
TRAINED BY JEAN DE MIEULLE | RIDDEN BY OLIVIER D’ANDIGNÉ
QATAR INTERNATIONAL CUP (GR 1 PA) (FOR PUREBRED ARABIANS)
SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2026
4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP | ABOUT 1600M (1M) | TURF
US $500,000
1st $285,000
2nd $110,000
3rd $55,000
4th $30,000
5th $20,000
Maximum number of runners 16.
Weights
5yo and up to carry 60kg. 4yo to carry 56kg.
Fillies and mares will receive 2kg sex allowance. Horses rated less than 90 by the QREC handicapper are NOT eligible. Should no 4yo enter and / or declare to run weights will be lowered 2kg.
Local Bred Allowance will NOT be applicable.
DUKHAN SPRINT (QA GR 3)
(FOR THOROUGHBREDS)
SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2026
3-YEAR-OLDS AND UP | 1200M (6F) | TURF
US $400,000
1st $228,000
2nd $88,000
3rd $44,000
4th $24,000
5th $16,000
Weights
4yo and up to carry 60kg.
4yo and up fillies and mares to carry 58kg. (9st 2lb).
Southern Hemisphere 3yo to carry 58kg
Southern Hemisphere 3yo fillies to carry 56kg
Northern Hemisphere 3yo to carry 53kg
Northern Hemisphere 3yo fillies to carry 52kg
Should no Northern or Southern Hemisphere 3yo’s enter and / or declare to run weights will be lowered 2kg.
Horses rated less than 90 by the QREC handicapper are NOT eligible. Local Bred Allowance will NOT be applicable.
LAST YEARS WINNER ROGUE LIGHTNING (IRE)
TRAINED BY TOM CLOVER | RIDDEN BY MICKAEL BARZALONA
Maximum number of runners 14.
AL RAYYAN MILE (QA GR 2)
(FOR THOROUGHBREDS)
(FOR NORTHERN HEMISPHERE)
SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2026
3-YEAR-OLDS ONLY | ABOUT 1600M (1M) | TURF
US $400,000
1st $228,000
2nd $88,000
3rd $44,000
4th $24,000
5th $16,000
Maximum number of runners 16.
Weights
Colts and Geldings to carry 58kg.
Fillies to carry 56kg.
Southern Hemisphere 3yo are NOT eligible.
Local Bred Allowance will not apply.
Horses rated less than 80 by the QREC handicapper are NOT eligible.
LAST YEARS WINNER AL QUDRA (IRE) TRAINED BY CHARLIE APPLEBY | RIDDEN BY WILLIAM BUICK
LAST YEARS WINNER REBEL’S ROMANCE (IRE)
TRAINED BY CHARLIE APPLEBY | RIDDEN BY WILLIAM BUICK
HH THE AMIR TROPHY –INTERNATIONAL GR 2
/ QA GR 1 (FOR THOROUGHBREDS)
SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2026
4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP | ABOUT 2400M (1M4F) | TURF
US $2,500,000
1st $1,425,000
2nd $550,000
3rd $275,000
4th $150,000
5th $100,000
Maximum number of runners 16.
presented by
Weights
5yo and up to carry 58kg.
5yo and up mares to carry 56kg.
4yo to carry 57kg.
4yo fillies to carry 55kg.
Horses rated less than 95 by QREC handicapper are NOT eligible.
Local Bred Allowance will NOT be applicable.
HH THE AMIR SWORD (GR 1 PA)
(FOR PUREBRED ARABIANS)
SATURDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2026
4-YEAR-OLDS AND UP | ABOUT 2400M (1M4F) | TURF
US $2,500,000
1st $1,425,000
2nd $550,000
3rd $275,000
4th $150,000
5th $100,000
Maximum number of runners 16.
Weights
4 yo to carry 54kg.
5yo and up to carry 60kg.
Fillies and mares will receive 2kg sex allowance.
Should no 4 year -olds enter and / or declare to run weights will be lowered 2kg.
Horses rated less than 95 by the QREC handicapper are NOT eligible.
Local Bred Allowance will NOT be applicable.
LAST YEARS WINNER AL GHADEER (FR)
TRAINED BY FRANCOIS ROHAUT | RIDDEN BY CHRISTOPHE SOUMILLON
H.H. THE AMIR SWORD FESTIVAL INCENTIVES
SUBSIDIES AND INCENTIVES
1. Travel
Shipment of invited horses will be arranged and paid for by QREC. For countries where there is no direct travel available to Qatar due to quarantine protocols and a charter flight is the best option, a travel subsidy will be provided to the owners to assist with shipment costs for horses.
Any shipment subsidy will terminate on landing in the event that the horse in question is to onward travel to race in another jurisdiction in the region.
In addition, QREC will pay for stables, fodder, veterinary fees and farrier.
a) The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) will provide air tickets to Qatar for the connections of overseas horses selected to participate in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup (Qatar International LR Thoroughbred Cup) (QA Gr2), H.H. The Amir Trophy (International Gr2) (Q A Gr1), H.H. The Amir Sword (Gr1 PA), Dukhan Sprint (QA Gr3), Qatar International Cup (Gr1 PA), Al Rayyan Mile (QA Gr2), H.H. The Amir Sword Festival Return business class air tickets on a carrier designated by the QREC will be sent to the following connections:
i. Registered owner, up to 2 tickets
ii. Trainer, up to 2 tickets
iii. Jockey, one ticket
b) Only the above connections are eligible for travel concessions and the following restrictions apply:
i. In the event an owner has an interest in more than one runner, a maximum of two concessions will be granted - one for the connection and one for his/her spouse/partner. No additional concessions will be reallocated.
ii. In the event an connection fulfills more than one role (i.e. owner/trainer), a maximum of two concessions will be granted - one for the connection and one for his/her spouse/partner. No additional concessions will be reallocated.
iii. Owners, trainers or jockeys currently residing in Qatar are not eligible for travel subsidies.
iv. In the event that trainers or jockeys have more than one horse participating at the H.H. The Amir Sword Festival, only one concessions will be granted. No additional concessions will be reallocated.
v. In the event a syndicate or group of owners has more than one horse participating at the H.H. The Amir Sword Festival, a nominated owner per horse will receive a maximum of two concessions - one for the owner and one for his/her spouse/partner.
No additional concessions will be reallocated.
Please note concessions are not transferable.
Connections wishing to stay at hotels other than the Official Hotel will have to cover the cost and associated expenses.
2. Hotel Accommodation
a) Hotel accommodation, room only basis, will be provided at the Official Hotel. One room for a maximum of two persons will be provided to each of the following connections:
i. Registered owner, 5 nights
ii. Trainer, 5 nights
iii. Jockey, 5 nights
iv. Owners, trainers or jockeys residing in Qatar are not eligible for the hotel accommodation subsidies
b) Only the above accommodation concessions will be granted and the following restrictions apply:
i. Owners, trainers and jockeys wishing to be accommodated for a longer period than the number of nights listed above will cover the cost of any additional nights and associated expenses themselves.
3. Transport Service
a) Transport between the following locations will be arranged by the QREC for owners, jockeys and trainers:
i. Hamad International Airport and the Official Hotel.
ii. Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club for morning track work and the H.H. The Amir Sword Festival.
iii. The venues of official functions.
4. Horse Transportation
Trainer’s staff are not permitted to accompany horses on the flight. Return air tickets for two grooms will be paid for by QREC.
TEMPORARY IMPORT REQUIREMENTS QATAR
Bloods within 30 days of export - along with the agreed exporting countries health certificate for Qatar.
Flu vaccination booster - to already certified course, not within 14 days of export but within 60 days of export.
• All invited runners must travel together where possible & share a pallet providing each horse with a stall and a half.
• When tack and equipment cannot be accommodated on the pallet, all additional goods must fit into a LD3 container.
• Any change from the transport arrangement which incurs additional cost will be at the owner’s expense.
• All Shipping arrangements organised by the QREC & appointed shipping agents.
• QREC and its transport agents will not be liable for any death of or injury to any invited horses during transportation to and from the Qatar or while in Qatar.
• Horses from the same region will, as far as possible, travel on the same flights on existing cargo routes.
• The QREC will arrange and cover the normal costs of return transport by road from the home stable to departure airport, and return air transportation to country of origin based.
• All export certification & tests to meet the Qatar Import requirements is not included in the travel subsidy.
• QREC nor its agents, will not be responsible for horse insurance.
• Connections should have their own insurance arrangements.
Equipment accompanying horses on flights
- Limited to 150kgs per horse
Please note that the following items are NOT permitted to be shipped along with tack:
- Personal effects
- Medication
- Alcohol
- Supplements
Feed
Feed can be imported to Qatar unless import permit is obtained. It takes 7 working days to apply permit and following documents should be submitted at the time of the application:
• Completed list of feed with full descrption name of the manufacturer.
• Completed list of ingredients, weight and number of pieces.
Accommodation for grooms
Grooms accommodation including full board will be paid by QREC.
Transport for grooms
A shuttle bus service will be provided to transport staff from the hotel to the QREC.
Note: Subsidies for grooms of horses invited to the H.H. The Amir Sword meeting will be run until 26th February 2026.
All working staff coming to Qatar (i.e. Head Lads, Grooms, Work Riders, Assistant Trainers) will be required to provide a copy of their passport which itself should be valid for travel for six months beyond the holder’s stay in Qatar.
H.H. THE AMIR SWORD FESTIVAL INVITATION PROTOCOL
PARTICIPATION IN THESE RACES ARE BY INVITATION FROM QATAR RACING AND EQUESTRIAN CLUB ONLY.
The Handicapper will assign an International and / or Domestic Rating to each horse that has been nominated or supplemented to the International races, including horses already based in Qatar. These ratings will form the basis for the selection procedure, although the Selection Panel will consider all relevant factors. The races are limited to 16 starters, the exception being the Dukhan sprint which is limited to 14 starters. The QREC reserves the right, and has sole authority to decide on the number of runners in the race, after careful consideration of any entry’s overall standing and potential to perform adequately in the race. Consequently, no entry, whether local or International, is guaranteed selection even if fewer than the maximum 16 starters are selected.
DECLARATION TO RUN FEES
The declaration to run fees are due by the time of declaration (Monday 9th February 2026 at 9:00am Local time).
Here are the details to include $150 jockey fee.
H.H. The Amir Trophy – US$ 10,150
H.H. The Amir Sword – US$ 10,150
Dukhan Sprint – US$ 2,650
Qatar International Cup – US$ 2,650
Al Rayyan Mile – US$ 2,650
Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup – US$ 2,650
The bank details for Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club are:
Bank Name : Masraf Al Rayan
Bank Address : PO BOX 28888
Al Shafi Street
Al Rayyan
Doha – Qatar
Tel : + 974 4425 3333
Account No : 0004 19999 8001
Account Name : Racing & Equestrian Club
Swift Code : MAFRQAQA
IBAN : QA66 MAFR 0000 0000 0004 1999 98001
Address of Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club :
Al Furousiya Roundabout PO BOX 7559
DOHA
QATAR
Tel : + 974 4419 7632
CONTACTS
INTERNATIONAL RACING BUREAU :-
Adrian Beaumont
Mobile: +44 7808903158
E-mail: adrian@irbracing.com
Max Pimlott
Mobile: +44 7950861939
E-mail: max@irbracing.com
Chantal Chappuis, FRANCE
Mobile: + 33 6 0776 3234
E-mail: chantalchappuis@orange.fr
Nick Higgins, SPAIN
Mobile: +44 77 9699 6899
E-mail: nthiggins@hotmail.com
Naohiro Goda, JAPAN
Mobile: +81 90 3427 1753
E-mail: lem00453@nifty.ne.jp
Celina Zindler, Germany
Mobile: +49 176 8431 9716
E-mail: c.zindler@badengalopp.de
Nick Esler, USA
Mobile: +1 561 634-1306
E-mail: naesler11@gmail.com
Franca Vittadini, ITALY
Mobile: +39 335 207 883
E-mail: f.vittadini@gmail.com
INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS :-
Ricardo Ravagnani
Handicapper
Racing and Equestrian Club PO BOX 7559
Doha
Qatar
Email: r.ravagnani@qrec.gov.qa
Mobile: +974 7226-7153
racingdpt@qrec.gov.qa
Patricia Musial (de Mieulle)
Head of International Affairs Unit
Racing and Equestrian Club PO BOX 7559
Doha
Qatar
Email : p.musial@qrec.gov.qa
Office : + 974 4419 7632
Mobile : + 974 5553 6839