Jamie wins in Duindigt to book berth in HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship

After sister Lucia Bautista qualification for Ladies Championship…

A family success was completed in the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) race held at the Duindigt racecourse in The Netherlands on Sunday, October 19.

Eighteen-year-old Jaime Gelabert Bautista scored a fantastic win on favourite Hurra to qualify for the November 9 final of the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) series in Abu Dhabi. And in the same meeting in Abu Dhabi, his elder sister Lucia will be contesting in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship finale after winning the Belgium leg earlier this year.

Thus Spain, which is not even a member of the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), will be represented in two World Championship finals in Abu Dhabi and this truly reflects the global success of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.

Sunday’s race was the fourth and final race in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) series and eight apprentice jockeys including the UAE’s Saeed Al Mazrouei lined up. But Jaime Gelabert Bautista on Hurra, from trainer Diana Dorenburg’s yard, came up with a breezing run on the outside to finish ahead of Nabukko under Irish Apprentice Josh Doyle to complete a 1-2 for the Dutch trainer.

Al Mazrouei on Derham came up with a late run and finished third while American Laura Carson on Robbie The First was fourth.

Hurra won by half a length from Nabukko in a winning time of 2:16.60 in the 1900 metre turf contest which carried a prize tag of Euros 20,000 for the race.

“The trainer told me to keep her in mid pack and the race went well for me. Hurra had a lot of speed and I did not have to do much once he changed gears,” said the young Bautista.

“I do not know much English so with my sister Lucia also coming to Abu Dhabi I will be more confident and we will go all out to keep our country’s flag flying high,” he said.

Lucia made a winning debut in the Euros 30,000 HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) race held in Belgium on August 18.

H.E. Abdalla Hamdan Alnaqbi, UAE Ambassador to The Netherlands, Mrs Alhan M. Ahmed Al Attar, Treasury Section Head at the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, Mr Wieger Joost de Ruiter, IFAHR Treasurer and Chairman of the Dutch Arabian Racing Committee and Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Chairman of Ladies Racing Committee in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) and Chairman of Apprentice Jockeys & Racing in IFAHR along with other officials gave away the trophies to the winning connections. Earlier they visited a photo-exhibition organised by Morhaf El Assaf at the race course.

HE Alnaqbi said, “The brilliant initiative of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the UAE, to promote this noble creature is highly appreciated and valued by all Arabian horse breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and race-goers around the globe.

“I think this is a real breakthrough to enhance the image of our nation all over the world and strengthen the already excellent ties between the UAE and the rest of the world,” he said.

Mrs Alhan M. Ahmed Al Attar, “It is a great spectacle to watch the Purebred Arabian horses in action here in Europe. Arabian racing is part of the UAE’s heritage and witness the promotion of our culture here is indeed a proud moment.”

“We have not spotted all four finalists for the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) finale in Abu Dhabi on November 9 and they will be joined by 10 others in what is expected to be a cracking finish to this newly-introduced series,” Ms Lara Sawaya said.

“The fraternity of Apprentice Jockeys will get a further boost prior to the finale with the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak two-day conference on Education and Training on November 7 & 8. We are expecting 20 Apprentice Schools from all over the world to be represented in this important conference,” she added.

The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with Arabtec Holding PJSC as the Official Partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Invest AD, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC),  Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Rashid Investment, Al  Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE's General Women's Union, the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2014, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Abu Dhabi Sports Channel and Racing Post.

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf