Alsaker wins Wathba Cup in La Teste

La Teste - Alsaker, a 4-year-old mare owned by the Royal Stables of Oman demolished a small but quality field in the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup race held in La Teste, France, on July 23.

Ridden by Julien Auge, Alsaker revealed some devastating pace in the final furlong to win the 1400-metre Listed contest in a time of 1:37.1.

Majid under Jean-Baptiste Hamel from the Al Shaqab Stables did the early running but soon Tharwah ridden by Ioritz Mendizabal caught up and forged ahead. Alsaker and the others too soon joined the battle and with three furlongs to go it was all five runners in a bunch.

But the Mrs Jean-Francois Bernard-trained Alsaker which soon broke away from the pack to win with much to spare while Majida took second place and Tharwah finished third.

This was the second Wathba Stud Farm Cup race to be held here in La Teste.

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  and sponsored by Al Aweer Stables, 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