Dubai Duty Free celebrates 30-year partnership with Newbury Racecourse
Dubai Duty Free’s Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi, owner’s representative Arthur Dobell jockey Hollie Doyle and Noel Parial celebrate First Duty’s victory in the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes as trainer archie Watson receives his trophy from Salim Dahman
Dubai Duty Free celebrated their 30-year partnership with Newbury Racecourse by backing seven of the 14 races staged at the Berkshire track over the two-day Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials Weekend. On Saturday the event featured trials for the British Flat racing season’s first two Classics the 1000 and 2000 Guineas.
In the first of the Guineas trials a quality field of 15 three-year-old fillies took center stage in the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes, a seven furlongs contest won by Duty First, trained locally to Newbury in Lambourn by Archie Watson and ridden by Hollie Doyle.
Though Duty First had been placed in a couple of fillies’ Group races at two, her objective this season had been the Italian Guineas. Now her ambitions are to be raised to the Newmarket Guineas in three weeks’ time for which she will have to be supplemented.
Andrew Balding’s Kingsclere team is said to be in unstoppable form. Two horses he received from other stables over the winter, Davina Grace and Jonquil, won both the opening race on Saturday’s card the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes and the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes, the Classic trial for colts. Their performances contributed to a fabulous four-timer on the day for the local trainer.
The trainers of Davina Grace and Jonquil, Rae Guest and Sir Michael Stoute had both retired over the winter and both horses stepped up on this, their debuts for Balding.
Ramesh Cidambi and Salim Dahman with Dubai Duty Free Stakes winning jockey Hollie Doyle
Divina Grace, the only mare in her race, was opposed by, among others, a better fancied stable companion Bellum Justice. Divina Grace knows how to battle though and just got the better of another outsider Tabletalk. The five-year-old also still wore her winter coat. “She’s bound to improve,” said trainer Balding.
The seven furlong Greenham Stakes has been won by some great colts, not least the greatest of all, Frankel in 2011. And a son of his, Jonquil, will surely have a say, following in his sire’s footsteps to the 2000 Guineas.
Last year’s one mile Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship Maiden for three-year-olds unveiled arguably the best colt of his year, Economics, later a Group One winner trained by William Haggas who, on this occasion, fielded the fancied Crown of Oaks. But this was Andrew Balding’s day. His colt Point of Contact had not raced since July 2024, here at Newbury, where he had sustained an injury.
The concluding race of a hugely entertaining two days was the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Handicap over ten furlongs which again attracted a competitive field of 15 experienced runners.
Sweet Reward, trained by Jonathan Portman, prevailed carrying the colors of the Old Stoic Racing Club headed by the popular former Sky Sports Racing presenter Robert Cooper.
Trophies for the Dubai Duty Free sponsored races were presented by Dubai Duty Free’s Managing Director, Ramesh Cidambi accompanied by Salim Dahman, Senior Manager Marketing and Marketing & Events Supervisor Noel Parial.
On both days of the meeting, Cidambi hosted a lunch for UK-based travel retail media, racing industry professionals, personalities and press. During his opening welcome remarks he paid a touching tribute to the company’s former CEO and Executive Vice Chairman, the late Colm McLoughlin, his wife Breeda, children and grandchildren who have enjoyed many happy times at Newbury Racecourse.
Cidambi also reported record sales for 2024 and provided an insight into continued success this year. He said, “I am glad to say that 2024 was a record sales year for Dubai Duty Free with turnover of US$2.164 billion. We have just announced our first quarter sales of US$565 million, so things are going well. It is thanks to the success of our retail business that we are able to support sponsorships such as this.”
Attendance at the popular race meeting hit a record high on day one of the fixture and the Dubai Duty Free Marquee where racegoers were able to sample complimentary Arabic coffee and dates and win spot prizes including free entry into the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise Draws, drew larger than usual crowds.
The company’s European horseracing sponsorship program continues with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh in late June.
