Festival’s races in Toulouse promise close contests

Last year's Zayed Cup winner

The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Prix De Carthage – Hannibal) Group 2 in Toulouse on April 22 marks the debut of the series in Europe in 2017.

With the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship also being staged at the Toulouse racecourse on Saturday, some quality runners including previous winners of the Festival’s races will be seen in action.

The Group 2 Prix Carthage-Hannibal-HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan will be run over 2000 metres with a prize fund of Euros 35,000 on offer and has attracted nine horses.

Qatar’s Al Shaqab’s is strongly represented by Khataab, Metrag and Meblsh while Thabit owned by the Yas Horse Racing Management LLC along with Mehdaaf Athbah, Beyssac, Amjad Al Aziz, Worood and Prada complete the field.

Khataab, a winner of the Group 2 last October and also third to Lightning Bolt in the UAE President’s Cup UK Derby (Group 1) prior to that will be one of the favourites while Thabit, a winner of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice Championship race in France will be a close contender. The other to watch are Metrag, winner of a Group 3 race in Morocco last year, Worood carrying the colours of the Royal Cavalry of Oman and Mehdaaf Athbah – coming into this race after a creditable second to Al Mourtajez in the Group 1 Qatar Arabian World Cup last year.

The following eleven lady riders and the horses that will be seen in action in this Toulouse leg of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship are: Austria’s Carolin Stummer on Argonaute; Belgium’s Alice Bertiaux on Sha’hir; French jockey and 2014 Fegentri World champion Barbara Guenet on Call me Bozouls; French jockey Marie Lemartinel on Burj Al Arab; Germany’s Michelle Blumenauer on L'Eau du Tigre, Ireland’s Aine O’Connor Vedette de Lagrimodi; Dutch lady rider Leonie Vethaak on Chalwa du Breuil, Spain’s Beatriz Alonso on Ambre, Sweden’s Charlotta Ericsson on Khozan, Switzerland’s Celina Weber on Mirna and Oman’s Fatma Al Manji on Barnamaj.

Sha’hir has already won the Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup race earlier this year and will once again take on Barnamaj, owned by HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.

Last year's HH Sheikha Fatima Cup winner

Germany’s Michelle Blumenauer on L'Eau du Tigre will also fancy her chances as her horse won the Dutch leg of the HH Sheikha Fatima Ladies series last year while Mirna, second to Thabit in HH Sheikha Fatima Apprentice race in Tarbes will also be one to watch in the 8-furlong contest.
Apart from a slice of the prize fund of Euros 30,000, the winner will also qualify for the HH Sheikha Fatima Ladies World Championship final in November in Abu Dhabi.

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), said, “Both races have attracted very good fields and we are expecting a great start to the Festival’s campaign in the Sheikh Zayed Cup and the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak race on Saturday.”

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