Huyam strikes for Al Alawi in Wathba Stud Farm Cup

Huyam, a four-year-old grey filly from Nizam won the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup for Private Owners Only in Abu Dhabi at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club racecourse on Sunday, November 22, 2015.

Royston Ffrench on Huyam beat back a challenging run from AF Rafia to give UAE trainer Helal Al Alawi a smart win in Dh. 80,000 turf contest over 1600 metres.

However, his rival would not go down without a fight and, briefly, appeared set to regain the initiative before Ffrench revitalized his mount to assert close home.

“He always runs a good race this horse,” said Ffrench. “He has taken me there going strongly before the second fought back but I was always pretty confident.”

Fourth to Mh Kanz in this same series on her seasonal debut last week, Huyam registered her second career win on Sunday, her first coming in the Emirates Fillies Classic earlier this year in February.

The Al Alawi-trained Huyam and Ffrench looked set to post a comfortable victory when sweeping past AF Rahia.

Earlier in the evening Wazn won under Ffrench for Helal Al Alawi and the jockey-trainer pair completed a double for the night with the Wathba Stud farm Cup win.

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, Bloom, Petromal, Rise General Trading Co. LLC, Hayatna, 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, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Yas Channel, Omeir Travels, Racing Post Paris Turf and Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics.

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