Karar is favourite in HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice race at Lingfield Park on Saturday

Karar under Irishman Queally winning the HH Sheikha Fatima Apprentice race in UK’s Sandown Park last year.

Three runners owned by HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler and Minister of Finance are part of the 10-strong line-up in the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) race at Lingfield Park in the United Kingdom on Saturday.

Munbaher under Oman’s Yahya Al Hamdani, Emiraaty under Puerto Rico’s Evin Roman and Al Kabeer under Australia’s Mitchell Aitken are the three runners in HH Sheikh Hamdan’s colours bidding to halt the winning run of favourite Karar.

Karar, the winner of the last two runnings of the UK stage of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice series, starts under American Corey Mongan and looks the one to beat. Mongan, 32, is also the oldest jockey in the race, as he took time out from riding to gain a teaching degree, specialising in health and physical fitness.

The UK is represented by thoroughbred trainer Richard Hannon’s apprentice Hollie Doyle. Doyle, 21, has already surpassed her aim of a winner per month this season and two of those wins have come on Lingfield’s Polytrack. She will have an additional edge, having already ridden in two Arabian races at Newbury this season, following in her mother Caroline’s footsteps who rode in Arabian races in 2003. Interestingly she had the mount on Farar, a three year old half-brother to Karar, who is making his handicap debut in this event.

The other runners and Apprentice jockeys in the fray are Zayin Zodiac under French jockey Laura Grosso, Difaa under Germany’s Esther Weissmeier, Aljawaaher under Ireland’s Keith Moriarty, Furry under Jordan’s Milly Naseb and Maghazi under Sweden’s Malin Holmberg.

“This is the penultimate chance for the Apprentice jockeys to win and book their berth in the series final to be held in Abu Dhabi on November 13 when the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Champion will be crowned,” said 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). “The next race will be in Tarbes, France and the six qualifiers will feature in the final along with a few invited Apprentice jockeys,” she said.

ARO Racing Manager, Amanda Smith said, “We are delighted with the quality of runners declared for Saturday’s race. It should be our most competitive Apprentice contest yet, which will be a fitting end to the extensive range of HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival-sponsored races held in the UK this year.”

Genny Haynes, ARO Director, commented. “ARO is delighted to welcome back the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice series to Lingfield Park. Previously we have staged the event at Newbury and Sandown Park, highlighting the diversity of British racecourses and ensuring that a new challenge is offered every season.”

 “It has been a wonderful year for Arabian racing in the UK, which has been extremely well supported by the generosity of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs and the efforts of the Festival headed by Ms. Lara Sawaya. The Festival has sponsored four full fixtures, plus the Ladies and Apprentice Championships, as well as the Group 1 HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nahyan Cup. In addition to race sponsorship, the Festival has secured the inclusion of our race cards and results in the Racing Post, which is helping to enhance this sport and the love of the Purebred Arabian horse, both here and around the world,” the ARO Director said.

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