Al Naboodah signs off with a win

Abu Dhabi’s final Wathba Stud Farm Cup race

One of the highlights, at least among the Private Owners, on the final meeting, on March 20, at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club was the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup For Private Owners Only.

Owner-breeder Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah signed off in style as he not only had the winner in this popular series’ finale but registered ca 1-2-3 as horses bred by him took the second and third place behind the winner AF Maqayes.

Jockey Tadhg O’Shea completed a double both for himself and trainer Rashid Al Raihe when partnering AF Maqayes to record a comfortable success in the 1400m conditions race for private owners.

While the previous 14 races in this 2015-16 series of the Wathba Stud Farm Cup Championship For Private Owners was Dh 80,000, Sunday’s prize fund was enlarged to Dh 120,000 as it was the grand finale of this popular series supported by the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival.

It was AF Rahia under Apprentice jockey Gary Philips that did the early running but with about two furlongs to go in the 7-furlong race, O’Shea took AF Maqayes to the front. From then on there was only one winner as the 4-year-old son of AF Buraq went on to win by over three lengths from AF Rahia with AF Ashras under Richard Mullen making it second and third for trainer Ernst Oertel.

It was yet another winner for owner and breeder, Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah, celebrating his 23rd success of the campaign and also responsible for AF Rahia and Af Ashras, second and third respectively.

And the owner wasted no time in completing a double with Fernado Jara in the saddle on the Ersnt Oertel-trained AF Madrub topped in a 1400m maiden later in the meeting.

The final meeting of the capital was highlighted by the Group 1 Emirates Championship (2200m) won by the President HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan-owned Abhaar who led from start to finish.

Racing beyond 1700m for the first time the Eric Lemartinel-trained Abhaar showed stamina was not an issue under rider Wayne Smith and, combined with his undoubted tenacity, was able to hold off a persistent challenge from Sha’Red, owned by HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, who looked the likely winner 300m from home but just could not get past.

“We congratulate Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah and all the other trainers, owners and jockeys who made the Wathba Stud Farm Cup series in Abu Dhabi a huge success,” said Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR).

 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, with National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC as associate sponsors, IPIC as Strategic Partner, The  National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with  and sponsored by Ayadii LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC, Bloom, Petromal, Rise General Trading Co. LLC, Hayatna, Wathba Stallions, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club,  Mohamed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Omeir Travels, Dr Nader Saab Switzerland, Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics, YAS Channel, Racing Post, Paris Turf,  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 2016, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan