RACING at home may have been cancelled last Saturday but the sun was shining in Dubai where Jebel Ali Racecourse hosted an Irish-themed raceday for the second year.

Five of the seven races were sponsored by Irish racing or breeding entities and the day was supported by the Irish Embassy in the UAE.Irish ambassador Alison Milton was a special guest at the races, along with Her Highness Sheika Hissa bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, His Excellent Mohammed Al Shehhi, and representatives from the Irish Dubai community including the chairman of the Irish Dubai Business Network, Damien Walsh, and Eugene Barry of Dubai Airports, together with Sinead El Sibai of Dubai Duty Free and Gerald Lawless.

The day’s sponsors included the Curragh, Goffs, Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, Gain Equine Nutrition and Into Kildare, the tourism authority for Co Kildare. Irish jockeys Pat Dobbs, Tadhg O’Shea and Andy Slattery were among the winners.