Emirates sponsors key horseraces in America

Emirates yesterday announced in New York a multi-year sponsorship agreement with two U.S. entities, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) and Breeders' Cup Limited, becoming the title sponsor of the US$2 million Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff and the US$1 million Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf races at the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

United Arab Emirates: Thursday, April 14 - 2005 at 11:19
PRESS RELEASE

Pictured here at the press conference in New York:(left)Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates' Executive Vice-President Commercial Operations Worldwide and D.G. Van Clief, Jr., President of Breeders' Cup Ltd., and NTRA Commissioner with Emirates' cabin crew members.

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Under the agreement, Emirates will not only title these two championship races, but will also title the Emirates Airline Distaff and Emirates Airline Filly & Mare Turf Divisions leading up to the eight-race, US$14 million Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

Emirates' sponsorship marks the first time in NTRA history that a Breeders' Cup sponsor will title two Breeders' Cup races and divisions.

This year's Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships will be held on 29th October at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and will be televised live in the U.S. on NBC and throughout the world on various international networks.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates' Executive Vice President Commercial Operations Worldwide, who attended the press conference in New York said: 'For Emirates, sponsorship is an important means of reaching out to our passengers worldwide, through sharing and supporting their interests. Emirates' ground-breaking sponsorship of two Breeders' Cup races and divisions is a perfect fit for our ongoing sponsorship portfolio of international horseracing. Adding the Breeders' Cup to a list that includes the Dubai World Cup and the Emirates Melbourne Cup shows our commitment to supporting the very best horse racing around the world.

He added: 'Emirates' daily non-stop route between Dubai and New York's JFK airport that we launched almost a year ago has greatly reduced the journey time and increased comfort for travellers between the US and the Gulf. It also has provided them with excellent connections in Dubai for other destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Asia-Pacific. This partnership with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association is further evidence of Emirates' commitment to expansion and success in the American market.'

Throughout the summer and fall, Emirates Airline will receive signage and hospitality at major races around the country that are part of the Emirates Distaff and Filly & Mare Turf divisions on the road to the World Thoroughbred Championships.

D.G. Van Clief, Jr., President of Breeders' Cup Ltd., and NTRA Commissioner said: 'We are delighted with the unprecedented commitment by Emirates for both the Distaff and the Filly and Mare Turf. The Emirates sponsorship expands our international affiliation with the corporate world. As a global leader in Thoroughbred racing and sports sponsorship, we are confident that Emirates Airline will provide an expanded platform for building worldwide interest in the Breeders' Cup.'

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Notes and media contacts

Emirates' Sports Sponsorship Portfolio

The Breeders' Cup participation is the latest in Emirates' continued sponsorship support of major sporting events throughout the world. The airline's sponsorships include the largest sponsorship agreement in the history of English football with Premiership club Arsenal, which includes naming rights for Arsenal's new 67,000 seat stadium, the Emirates Stadium.

Other sponsorships include the US$6 million Dubai World Cup (the world's richest horserace), Australia's Emirates Melbourne Cup, the Australian Jockey Club's Australian Oaks Race, the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the Asian Football Federation, Emirates' Team New Zealand in the America's Cup yacht race, the Emirates Rugby Sevens in Dubai, London, South Africa and France, and the Dubai Cricket Council, among others. Emirates is also the official carrier for golf's Dubai Desert Classic, the BMW International Open in Munich, the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai, the Holden New Zealand Open and the Dubai Tennis Open, in addition to sponsoring all international cricket umpires through the International Cricket Council and all referees in the English Premiership.

About the NTRA and Breeders' Cup

Over the years, the US$2 million Distaff, a race for fillies and mares age three-and-up run at 1 1/8-miles on dirt, has been won by some of the greatest female horses in the history of the sport, including Horses of the Year Lady Secret in 1986 and Azeri in 2002, and the undefeated Personal Ensign in 1988.

The Filly & Mare Turf, an event for fillies and mares age three-and-up run at 1 ¼-miles on grass, which was first run in 1999, was captured last year by the 2004 European Horse of the Year, Ouija Board (GB).

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horseracing interests, including the American Quarter Horse Association, charged with increasing popularity of horseracing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA and Breeders' Cup Limited also administer the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships, Thoroughbred racing's year-end Championships consisting of eight races and US$14 million in purses and awards, and the Breeders' Cup Stakes Program. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and New York City. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA website, www.ntra.com.

Contact:

Sheba Koonan, Corporate Communications,
Tel: (+9714) 203.2287, Mob: (+97150) 658.7912

Anne-Birte Stensgaard, Senior News Editor
Thursday, April 14 - 2005 at 11:19 UAE local time (GMT+4)

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This Article was updated on Tuesday, May 01 - 2007

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