Ace Chanthal named as Ambassadress of HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival

Dazzling end to HH Sheikha Fatima Awards & the 30th Annual US Darley Awards weekend

The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival named yet another star jockey - Chantal Sutherland- as their Ambassadress as the curtain came down on the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards & the 30th Annual US Darley Awards with the Celebration Banquet and annual stallion breeding auction at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons on Sunday, April 2.

With nearly 1000 wins under her belt, Chanthal is a Canadian model and television personality, and she rode in Saturday’s $100,000 HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award Stakes, a Grade 1 event at Santa Anita.

She joins the legendary Julie Krone, reigning UAE champion jockey Richard Mullen and Xavier Ziani as the four ambassadors of the Festival.

Making the announcement on a night that was attended by some great names in the racing and entertainment world, Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of 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 said Chanthal will join Julie, Richard and Xavier Ziani in promoting the Festival’s activities from 2017 and beyond.

“We have around 108 races in 86 countries and with Chanthal’s inclusion now there is gender equality among the four!” she said.

“On Saturday at the Santa Anita Park we had Hall of Fame jockeys including the recent Dubai World Cup winner Mike Smith, Gary Stevens and Laffit Pincay Jr. to accept a donation made on behalf of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) for $150,000 courtesy of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Santa Anita Park,” Ms. Sawaya added.

“It is an honor and privilege to be part of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival,” said the California-based Canadian who has won prestigious races like the Hollywood Gold Cup, the Pacific Classic in Del Mar, the Santa Anita Handicap and a second place finish in the Breeder’s Cup Classic. She also raced in the Dubai World Cup.

Earlier HE Abdulla Al Subose, UAE Consul General in Los Angeles, HE Mohammed Sultan Saif Al-Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, Abdulla Al Qubaisi representing Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director of International Promotion at Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, Edward Hamod, General Manager of National Feed and Flour Production and Michelle Morgan, Chief Steward of the Arabian Racing Cup addressed the audience.

HE Al Subose said, “This Festival is in fact a bridge not only between the UAE and the US but also a bridge between the six continents that make it one world.

All speakers thanked HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs and HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood for the huge impact the Festival has made on Arabian racing around the globe.

All winners in Friday night’s HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards and the 30th Annual US Darley Awards at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood were once again on stage receiving gifts from the Festival while most of the other VIP guests and stars of the entertainment world were also feted on stage.

One of the Arab world’s top TV star Lojaim Omran, Polish pop singer Edyta Gorniak, Syrian TV star Qusai Khouli and UAE’s singer and endurance rider Aryam were some of the names who attended the show. Consul General of Qatar H.E. Khalid Yousuf Al-Sada also was present.

Interspersed with a variety of dance performances, the feature of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Awards Celebration Banquet was the ARC’s annual stallion breeding auction.

Nominations to some great Purebred Arabian stallions like Assy, Mahabb, Mawood II, Menrouk, Munjiz, No Risk Al Maury, Rathowan, Sir Bani Yas and So Big Is Better were on offer through the auction with proceeds going to charity.

Ms. Lara Sawaya topped when she bid $15,000 for a nomination to the stallion Mahabb and through the evening nearly $ 100,000 was raised at the ARC Stallion Auction, thanks to the prompting by top racing commentator Derek Thompson.

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
Photos: Cidinha Franzão, Nilza Felice and Morhaf Al Assaf