Gazel T wins Group 3 Wathba Cup for 5th year in a row in Sweden

Gazel T under Jacob Johansen

Sweden May 14 - It was Gazel T once again in the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup, a Group 3 race which was also Sweden’s first prestige race of the season.

Run over 1730 metres on Jagersro's dirt track, the Wathba Stud Farm Cup (Group 3) has become almost synonymous with Gazel T, as the chestnut son of Prince d'Orient registered a 5th consecutive win.

Bred and owned by his trainer Gerard Zoetelief, Gazel T had won this particular race since he took part in it for the first time as a 4-year-old.

Always coming from behind with a brilliant finishing speed, he was back in Malmo to assert his supremacy and for the second time his stable companion Paramour T followed him home. The latter had finished 4 lengths behind Gazel T in the 2015 edition and was widely considered to be the second choice of them.

The main danger on paper was another Dutch raider, Hurra, from Diana Dörenberg’s stables. Never far behind in Group 1 company and joint-top rated with Gazel T, the filly had already run once this season while her stable companion Bachair Qardabiyah as well as the two "T" were making their seasonal debut.

Among others the home team included the ever reliable Al Janoob as well as his stablemate Pamills Lipse and filly of the year in 2015 Niraan while Mad Makz and Pentagon were coming back after lay-offs.

Gazel T under Jacob Johansen broke like lightning and feeling strong was allowed to take the front outpacing Niraan from her favourite position. Wide through the first bend Hurra put some pressure on him on the backstretch along with Mad Makz and rank outsider Bisht, but they had played out their roles in the last bend leaving Pamills Lipse and Pentagon as the nearest pursuers until Paramour T set sails at almost exactly the same stage as Gazel T used to do.

The pair engaged in a ding-dong battle down the stretch, but Gazel T under Johansen wouldn't be denied and hung on to win by a short head. The two finished well ahead of Al Janoob, who came like a locomotive to snatch third place from Pamills Lipse with Pentagon fifth.

Wathba Stud Farm Cup race in Ghlin, Belgium on Monday

Eleven horses have lined up for the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup  Let’s Go race to be run at the Hippodrome De Wallonie at Ghlin in Belgium on Monday, May 16.

The race will be run over 1500-metres and carries a cash purse of Euros 5,000.

The runners are Dicky, Nero D.A, Rodin, Zafin D.A, Nobas D.A, Shivan OA, Messi, Port de la Vie, Yescan Du Caurou, Carakella and Asmera D’ Aroco.

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 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