Nil Kamla scores another victory under Belgian van den Troost

5-year-old makes it a double in 8 days on St Moritz snow track

Nil Kamla once again took advantage of the shortened distance on the ice/snow track to win the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) race on Sunday, February 21, under Belgian lady jockey Anna van den Troost.

The year 2016 seems to be a lucky one for the 5-year-old Dahess daughter, trained by Swiss connections Franziska Aeschbacher and owned by her husband Urs Aeschbacher. For in seven previous races since 2014, Nil Kamla had failed to win a single race but in eight days has registered a perfect double as she had won the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup race under Raphael Lingg on the same snow track last Sunday (February 14).

In the battle among lady jockeys for a place in the November final of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) series, Nil Kamla proved she is the Queen of the sprint distance on the snow track. Anna van den Troost hit the front with Nil Kamla soon after the start and then held on to finally win by about three lengths from Oriental Myth under Swiss Astrid Wullschleger (the 2015 HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World champion) with Alibaba Del Sol once again failing to sparkle in the 800-metre contest to finish third under Swedish lady jockey Dina Danekilde.

The 20-year old Belgian jockey was thrilled with her victory and said, “It was a challenging task as it was very important to keep the horse in the right spot in the early stages. Towards the end there is a huge scramble as it is only 800 metres distance and I was happy with the way Nil Kamla responded.”

It will be the second time that van den Troost will be making her appearance in the Abu Dhabi finale of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) series.

“It is a dream of every lady jockey to win and qualify for the finals,” said van den Troost, who had finished third on Bigg N Rich in the 2014 championship final in Abu Dhabi. “It was a great experience and I will now work towards bettering that display of mine,” she said.

HE Sulieman Al Mazrouei, UAE ambassador to Belgium, and HE Saqr Al Raisi, UAE ambassador to Italy, Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) and others gave away the trophies.

HE Sulieman Al Mazrouei and HE Saqr Al Raisi hailed the international success of the Festival and placed on record the initiative and support of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Head of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

HE Al Mazrouei said “The Arabian horse has come to the forefront of the attention and with the support of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival it has taken a giant step in the way of development and progress.”

HE Al Raisi commented: “The Festival’s support and backing of the Arabian horse is evidence of the role of the highest leadership in the country to preserve the sport as part of the UAE’s culture and civilization and to revive the values and heritage of the Arabs.

Ms Lara Sawaya said, “The race was telecast live by Yas TV and live streaming by www.sheikhmansoorfestival.com website. We are encouraged by the large number of fans who witnessed the Purebred Arabians race on the snow tracks.”

“This is the fourth year that we have staged the Festival’s races and next year we have enhanced the status of this ‘White Turf’ event by including the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup to be held here on the frozen lake of St Moritz as one of the three legs of the European Triple Crown.

“Apart from the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup and the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR),  from next year we will add a third race – the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race here,” Ms Sawaya 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 with  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
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf