Sir Bani Yas wins Sheikh Zayed Cup at Sandown Park

Another Group 1 success for HH the UAE President’s horse

Sir Bani Yas, owned by the President of the UAE, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan came up with a devastating run in the final stages to win the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Group 1) race at the Sandown Park race course in the United Kingdom on Saturday, August 20.

The £ 80,000 race was the biggest purse in Saturday’s meeting and was part of the Emirates day with many UAE-based sponsors supporting other races on the card.

The Elizabeth Bernard-trained Sir Bani Yas ridden by UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea delivered with a searing run through the middle even as Dubai Deputy Ruler and Minister of Finance HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s  Aghsaan and Awzaan chased him home but could only finish second and third respectively.

Winning jockey O’Shea said, “It’s a privilege to get offered the ride on him by the Al Asayl team, he’s a very, very good horse. Obviously he’s been a model of consistency, so it’s great get another Group 1 under his belt.”

Tactically it was a tricky race to ride as they split across the track, but the main thing was not to get to the front too soon. I waited as long as I dared and then pressed the button. Thankfully he had enough class to get to the line well,” he said.

Trainer Bernard commented, “It was hard at the finish as the horses went to different sides of the track. Sir Bani Yas likes to battle, so when he can’t see the other horses, it is more difficult. If he gets to the front too early, he stops because he thinks his job is finished, so it is very important to hit the front at the last moment. Tadhg O’Shea rode him very well as he doesn’t know him. We may have another race before the Qatar World Cup, but I will speak with the racing manager.”

Several other races supported by UAE companies were held alongside the Sheikh Zayed Cup and among them the feature was a Group 3 TCA Abu Dhabi Solario Stakes. Favourite South Seas obliged under Oisin Murphy for trainer Andrew Baldwin in rather comfortable manner.
Godolphin’s Serengeti was the favourite in the Omeir Travel Agency Nursery race over 7 furlongs but was beaten to third place with Jamie Osborne’s Harbour Master winning under jockey George Baker.

Son of Africa pleased his connections with a surprise win in the Global United veterinary Services Handicap under Harry Bentley for trainer Henry Candy while in a very exciting finish favourite Baydar edged out Goodwood Mirage by a short head in the National Feed & Flour Production Handicap. Jospehine Gordon was the winning jockey for trainer Hugo Palmer.

Baker went on to complete a double when he won on the Jeremy Scot-trained Unison in the Yas TV Handicap while also completing a double in the UAE-supported meeting was another jockey, Harry Bentley.

Bentley steered the Ralph Beckett-trained Pure Art to a superb short-head win over Man Look in the final Abu Dhabi Sports Council Handicap. 

HE Sulaiman Hamid Almazroui, the UAE Ambassador to the UK,  HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, First Secretary at the UAE Embassy in the UK, HE Saqr Naser Al Raisi, the UAE Ambassador to Italy, Aref Al Awani of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Mubarak Al Nuaimi of TCA Abu Dhabi, Hamad Ali Al Ahbabi, Supporting Business Department Manager, IPIC, Dr. Abdullah Al Reyes, Director General of the National Archives, Abdul Rahim Yousef Al Awadi, Mansour Al Mansouri  and Arabian Racing Organisation Director  Genny Haynes along with 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), Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) attended the races and gave away the trophies.

The UAE envoys and all the sponsors’ representatives thanked HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation and Head of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood for the success of the Festival and its support to horse racing around the globe.

Commenting on the success of the Festival’s events in the UK, Ms Sawaya said, “These two days were great. We will be back for a Wathba Stud Farm Cup race on August 28 and then the HH Sheikha Fatima Mint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) series at Lingfield Park on September 10,” she added.

ARO Director Genny Haynes said, “That was a superb performance by Sir Bani Yas to win today and by the two placed horses Aghsaan and Awzaan, who have progressed so well this season. It follows a great victory yesterday by Germany’s Monique Luebcke on Koline, in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR), giving Stephen Gregory his first ever win as a trainer with ARO.”

 “We are so grateful for the fantastic support the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Festival and its’ associate sponsors continue to give UK Arabian racing. Our next event, at Hereford on 28 August, is also sponsored by the Festival.  This meeting, which supports the grass-roots of the sport in the UK, has received nearly 90 Purebred Arabian entries – the highest figure for a domestic fixture this season - which is incredible,” she added.

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
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf