Hereford meeting kick-starts Festival’s 2016 UK campaign

The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s support to Purebred Arabian horse racing in 2016 in the United Kingdom begins on Saturday, May 7, 2016, in Hereford. The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) holds the first of four full fixtures in Hereford with all meetings run under the generous sponsorship of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.

Fifty-seven runners have been declared for the eight-race card for Saturday’s meeting. The feature race of the day is the Wathba Stallions (0-95) Handicap Stakes over 7 furlongs, the select field of five, includes promising course and distance winner Al Kabeer. He is trained by last seasons’ Leading Newcomer Award winner, James Owen, who got off to a flying start with a treble at the first ARO fixture last month at Chelmsford City.

Another handler stamping her authority on the 2016 season is Delyth Thomas, for whom the track is her local venue. She runs Noble Athlete, who formed part of a double at the Essex track, plus mother and daughter Kiraa and Kayclaire who scored a notable achievement when filling the first two places home at Hereford last season.

Commenting on the Festival’s first race of this year in the UK, Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the Int'l Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) said: “The Purebred Arabian racing in the United Kingdom plays a vital role in the promotion of this noble breed and we are delighted to be back with our racing activities.”

“We have been instructed by HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, to give ample importance to the Wathba Stud Farm Cup series as this series helps broaden the base of Purebred Arabian racing as the important grass roots level,” she added.

ARO welcomed Arena Racing Company’s announcement earlier this year that the course was to reopen to National Hunt racing under rules in October.  Having held up to five Arabian racing fixtures per year at the course during its closure, ARO was delighted to play a part in keeping the track open with the assistance of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival.

Amanda Smith, ARO Racing Manager, commented: “We are really looking forward to returning to Hereford this season for four meetings under the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival banner. The Festival is a great supporter of grass roots racing around the world, as well as the sponsor of the World’s richest Arabian horse race, the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (Gr.1PA), which is worth €1.2 million Euros.”

She continued: “Visitors to our first three fixtures at Hereford can enter a competition to win a day out to watch the UK leg of HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship Series or the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Gr.1 PA), which will be run as single races on thoroughbred cards at Sandown Park on August 19 and 20.”

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