All eyes on Paddys Day in Sheikh Zayed Cup race

HH Sheikha Fatima Cup Ladies race in Houston on Saturday

Paddys Day winning in Houston last year

Pleasanton, California - Saturday, July 8, 2017 sees some high class Purebred Arabian horse racing even as the Scott Powell-trained Paddys Day aims to top the second leg of the 2017 Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup Series in Pleasanton, USA and close in on the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Triple Crown for a third successive year.

The 6-year-old Paddys Day, owned by Quarter Moon Ranch LLC, has won the first two (2015 & 2016) editions of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Arabian Triple Crown along with the US$ 150,000 bonus each year and has also won the Amethyst Jewel (first leg) this year in Houston in March.

In Saturday’s Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Arabian Cup Grade II – Emerald Arabian Triple Crown, Paddys Day will be under Keiber Coa, the jockey who steered the two-time Darley Horse of the Year to a fine win in a 6-furlong contest in Delaware last month.

Paddys Day has been in solid form having won the Sheikh Zayed Cup Amethyst Jewel first leg of the Triple Crown in Houston under Deshawn Parker and then in April was ridden to another great win by Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza in the Grade I, $100,000 HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award Stakes at Santa Anita race course.

Paddys Day picked up 8 points for the win in Houston while Easter Man (7 points) and Quick Sand AA (6) finished in that order while Sand Victor, a winner here last year ahead of Paddys Day finished fifth but earned the 5 points which every runner gets for starting the race. Trainer Tim Eaton handles both Quick Sand AA, a 4-year-old colt to be ridden by Pedro Terrero and the 6-year-old Sand Victor (Hugo Herrera astride) and both are likely to pose a challenge to Paddys Day.

True Grit SA, CR Ardiente, Jess Is On Fire, By Golly Its Hot, Twice Rich, Ayers, Es Mi Cielo, One Hot Vaz and Z Yoyo Go complete the field in this US$ 50,000 Stakes race to be contested over six furlongs (1200 metres).

Prior to the featured Sheikh Zayed Cup, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak World Championship Ladies Cup race with a prize fund of US $41,000 will be worked off.

Lady jockeys from around the world will be competing to win and clinch a berth in the championship finals in November in Abu Dhabi.

Dutch lady jockey Cindy Klinkenberg will be on Last Call MHF, Sweden’s Tina Henricksson on WMA Success Symbol, American Erika Taylor on Ivory Shores, Ireland’s Sheila Ahern on RB Hot Burns, Oman’s Fatima Al Manji on Burning Mercy, Spain’s Beatriz Alonso on WMA Riversong, Ingrid Grard of France on Dream Pearl, UK’s Poppy Bridgwater on Nivours Romance, Germany’s Claudia Fleissner on Duchess AA, Norway’s Thea Hofossaeter on Golly Lands.

“There are some very good lady riders in the contest and they will all be looking to win and qualify for the prestigious final race in Abu Dhabi,” said Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of 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 Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Arabian Cup Grade II – Emerald Arabian Triple Jewel will see Paddys Day back in action and an exciting contest is on the cards,” 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, 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 Ayadi LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC,  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, 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 2017, 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