UAE PRESIDENT’S CUP BRINGS UNPRECEDENTED PRIZE MONEY & PRESTIGE TO WAREGEM KOERSE

€200,000 TO BE WON IN 2 MINUTES

Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Horsepower, holiday vibes, and pure ambiance: everything comes together at the iconic Gaverbeek racetrack for one unforgettable celebration. Waregem Koerse is back — and how! It’s the day that young and old, sports fans and bon vivants alike, eagerly anticipate. A day to make memories. A day to be part of it all.

And this year, the event is stepping things up a notch: more sport, more experience, and more prize money than ever before.

The UAE President’s Cup Series has chosen Waregem Koerse as a unique stop on their global racing circuit for Arabian thoroughbreds. A great honor — and you’ll feel it, both in the stands and on the track.

OVER €500,000 IN TOTAL PRIZE MONEY

€200,000 — that’s the prize money to be shared among the fastest participants in the UAE President’s Cup during Waregem Koerse. “We are incredibly proud of this,” says general director Bram Vandewalle. “Never before has so much prize money been up for grabs in a single race in Waregem. Combined with established highlights such as the ING Great Steeple-Chase of Flanders and the Grand Prix City of Waregem, this brings the total prize pool for Waregem Koerse 2025 to more than half a million euros. September 2 will undoubtedly be one of the absolute sporting highlights of the year. This puts Waregem even more firmly on the international equestrian map.”

UAE PRESIDENT’S CUP

Nelly Philippot-Hermanne has been one of the driving forces behind Arabian thoroughbred racing worldwide since the 1980s. And she can talk about it endlessly. Nelly: “The UAE President’s Cup is a global series of races for Arabian thoroughbred horses,” she explains. “The circuit was launched by the United Arab Emirates to promote the region and its rich traditions worldwide through their centuries-old cultural icon: the Arabian horse. At the same time, they wanted to breathe new life into the breed, which had declined in popularity during the 20th century. And it’s working.”
The races are not only beautiful to watch, but also fiercely competitive. By putting the Arabian horse back in the spotlight, the Emirates are reviving the breed — and stimulating the breeding of ever stronger and healthier horses.”

BELGIAN ARABIAN THOROUGHBREDS AMONG WORLD’S BEST

For the race in Waregem, Arabian thoroughbred horses will travel to Belgium from all over Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. To truly understand the elegance of the Arabian thoroughbred, you have to see them in action. Nelly: “Arabian horses are desert animals. They have a magical presence — regal, lightly built, yet incredibly powerful. They are refined because they evolved for centuries to survive in extreme conditions: with little food, intense sun, and long distances. They are lightning-fast, extremely alert, and have phenomenal endurance.”

Remarkably, some of the world’s best Arabian thoroughbred horses are now being born in Belgium. Nelly: “A great example is Messi, born and raised in Geel. He won the prestigious Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi — which you could basically call the world championship for Arabian thoroughbreds.”

WHY THE UAE CHOSE WAREGEM

Not only our horses, but also our races are making a global impression. Waregem Koerse wasn’t just handed a leg of the President’s Cup — strict selection criteria and strong international competition came first. Nelly: “Waregem Koerse is one of the oldest international sporting events, with an incredibly strong reputation. That certainly plays a role in such decisions. But also the massive audience, the charisma of the Gaverbeek Hippodrome, the world-class sporting program, and the way visitors and VIPs are hosted… it all just fits.”