Sheikh Zayed Triple Jewel second leg attracts strong
field in Pleasanton

HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival races spice of US holiday mood

With the Americans in the midst of a long-weekend courtesy their National Day on July 4, the Pleasanton racecourse in California state will come alive on July 5 with two classy Purebred Arabian horse races organized by the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.

The Festival’s blue-riband event in the US this year is the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup Triple Jewel serieslaunched in Houston on March 7.

Burning Fleet under Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez won that Sheikh Zayed - Amethyst Jewel race to kick start the Triple Jewel – the three-race Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup series- which carries an additional bonus of US$ 150,000.

On Sunday a few of those Houston runners will be back here in Pleasanton for the Emerald Green leg and will be eligible to continue their pursuit of the US$ 150,000 bonus. 

Paddys Day under Kelsi Purcell, second to Burning Fleet in Houston has since won both his starts and the 4-year-old son of Burning Sands from Scott Powell’s yard looks the one to beat.  Our Princess, fourth in Houston will be ridden by Kirsten Swan and the pair have since won a 9-furlong race in Delaware and will be eyeing another good placing and earn crucial bonus points.  

The others in this six-furlong contest are RB Moose under Pablo Flores, Ayers under Jesus Velazquez, Fastandfurious under Hugo Herrera, By Golly Its Hot under C.S Lopez, My Kaliber under Cristobal, Sand Victor under Pedro Flores, Es Mi Cielo under Erick Lopez and Twice Rich under Barrington Harvey. 

Earlier on Thursday Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairman of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairman of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) conducted the draw which paired the lady jockeys with the horses entered for the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship race.

The following are the horses and the lady jockeys that will be on them as the ten starters will be vying to win and clinch a berth in the November 8 championship finale in Abu Dhabi-Dixie under Rikke Torp, Aimee Oakley under Lucia Bautista, One Hot Chic under Michala Kucharikova, Golly Zands under Eva Herresthal, Blazing Wings under Zsanett Toronyi, RB Cantata under Hannah Watson, Sand On Fire under Sandee Martin, My Vaz Is Hot under Celina Weber, Vaz Djets On under Liz Lalor and Top Thess under Margaux Collomb. 

The Helen Shelley-trained RB Cantata has won both her starts this year but the horse that is likely to garner the most support will be Ms Dixie, the 7-year-old mare looking to win her 19th race in 42 starts.

“This second leg of the newly-introduced Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup Triple Jewel is being staged at a most exciting time here in Pleasanton. A record crowd is expected and the horses invited are based on their earnings and this has resulted in a classy field,” Ms Sawaya said.

“With just a couple of spots left in the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship finale to be held in Abu Dhabi on November 8, Sunday’s ladies race will see some intense competition. All in all the racing fans are in for a treat in the two Arabian races,” she added.

Tom Doutrich, Racing Secretary for the California Authority of Racing Fairs, who supervised the draw on Thursday said, “We thank the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival for coming back to Pleasant. We are expected record crowds as July 5 is the final day of the Fair and Arabian racing has been very popular here.”

The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in cooperation with Emirates Racing  Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Invest AD, National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC),  Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE's General Women's Union, The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2015, Bloom, Rise General Trading Co. LLC, Petromal, Hayatna, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Yas Channel, Omeir Travels, Racing Post and Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics.

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