12-member UAE team of riders and over 140 riders named to take part in the World Championship in tomorrow's 120-km CEI three-star National Day Cup endurance ride.

The sixth National Day Cup is being sponsored by the First Gulf Bank and will be held at Dubai International Endurance City.

Mohammad Rashid Bin Ghadayer, chairman of Emirates International Endurance Racing, addressing a press conference here yesterday, said the prestigious National Day Cup event gains added importance as it comes just two weeks before the January 27 World Endurance Championship.

"All the UAE team riders, led by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence, as well as Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, will be part of the starting line-up," Bin Ghadayer said.

"The UAE National Day Cup is an established ride and one of the highlights of the UAE domestic season. This is reflected in the nearly 150 entries with riders from 23 countries taking part," he said.

The other world championship UAE riders who will be taking part tomorrow are: Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Shaikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, Shaikh Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Shaikh Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sultan Bin Sulayem and Ali Al Muhairy.

Fausto Fiorucci, the silver medallist in the 1998 World Championship, and Princess Haya Bint Hussain of Jordan are also in the fray along with a strong list of foreign riders.

Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri, who won the National Day Cup in 2001 and is the defending champion, will be looking to make it a third win. The Al Wathba rider along with previous National Day Cup winners Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum and Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed are in the fray.

The first prize is Dh25,000 with the next best photographers collecting Dh20,000, Dh15,000, Dh10,000 and Dh5,000 each," Hussain said.

"Tomorrow's ride will be watched by quite a few international riders who are already here for the world endurance championship. There are a few riders who are expected to take part on borrowed horses," said Saeed Al Tayer, the vice chairman of the World Endurance Championship Organising Committee.

Hamad Al Ghafli, manager of retail marketing at First Gulf Bank, the sponsors of the ride, said: "The bank is proud to be the sponsor of this international event. This is part of our social responsibility and our commitment to our community, as we have always been keen on supporting sport in this region," he said.

Colonel Hussain Mohammad Hussain, secretary-general of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, announced a Dh75,000 award for photographers for the National Day Cup ride.

"These awards have been directed by Shaikh Mansour. The best set of photographs, which capture all aspects of the National Day Cup, will be judged by a panel after the photographers submit their work.