International racing returns to Morocco

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Article by Paull Khan

Casablanca will host the latest of its well-established and handsomely endowed International Thoroughbred Race Days. Entries for the four races, which are run on Saturday the 19th of November, close at the end of October. 

Headlining is the €110,200 Grand Prix de la SOREC, one of the international Defi du Galop series of events, run over 2400m/12f for 3yo’s and up. The support card comprises a 1750m/8.75f event for 3yo fillies (€64,300), a race for the 3yo colts over 1900m/9.5f (€55,100) and a 1750m/8.75f for the staying 2yo (€25,700). All races are run on the dirt track. Entry fees are around one percent of the race fund.

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SOREC (the Moroccan racing authority) is eager to see the festival get fresh impetus after the sad interruption due to COVID. Keen to encourage international participation, it will be putting on a plane to transport runners from a central European location (exact departure point to be determined), awarding travel allowances of up to €3,000 per horse, meeting the costs of flights and accommodation for the owner, trainer and jockey and hosting a gala dinner. Stable staff will be put up at the nearby training centre, where the visiting horses will be stabled.

“Since 2015,” explains Hicham Debbagh, SOREC’s deputy general manager in charge of horse racing, “our objective was to install the Morocco International Meeting in the international calendar, through attractive prize money and free air transport, in order to guarantee the best reception conditions for horses and professionals. Prior to COVID, things were progressing nicely, and we were attracting good horses from England, France, Libya, Netherlands, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Spain, Syria and UAE. Now that travel has opened up again, we look forward to building our festival back up as an international destination. Welcome to Morocco!”

Anfa Racecourse is an oasis of calm and beauty in the sprawling metropolis that is Casablanca. Trainers might well consider a Moroccan raid. Prize money extends down to fifth place, and the average field size for the four races in (pre-COVID) 2019 was 11. At the same time, it provides connections with the chance to experience racing in a nearby country with a fascinatingly distinct culture, and it will be helping inject the necessary quality of the runners to enable Morocco to achieve its dream of acquiring its first Black Type race.