HH Sheikh Hamdan’s Maraasem wins Wathba Stallions Cup in Dax

Three-year-old filly Maraasem, owned by HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Deputy Ruler and Minister of Finance won the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Dahman-Wathba Stallions Cup in Dax, France on Friday.

Trained by Francois Rohaut and ridden by Francois-Xavier Bertras, Maraasem, finished ahead of two three-year-old colts - Dhaafer and Kanaan- from the Yas Horse Race Management owned by HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. The winning time was 2:26.30.

Maraasem under Bertras finished about half a length ahead of Dhaafer, ridden by Gabriel Bon and was followed by another HH Sheikh Mansoor horse Kanaan under Alexandre Gavilan. Dhaafer and Kanaan were saddled by trained Didier Guillemin.

It was the first win in three starts for Maraasem, a 3-year-old filly by Akim du Ducor.

The Dahman-Wathba Stallions Cup, run on turf over a distance of 2100 metres carried a total prize fund of Euros 16,000 and was sponsored by HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival. The Festival is celebrating its 10th year since inception and the year 2018 also marks the 100th birth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late founder of the UAE and a passionate promoter of Purebred Arabian racing.

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 carrier,  in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFHRA, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abu Dhabi Youth Council, General Authority for Sports and sponsored by Ayadi LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC,  Nissan Middleast  Al Massood Automobiles, Nirvana Travels and Tourism LLC, Equicare Veterinary Services, Alawal Stud, Cavalos Equine Care & Supplies, SET Sustainable Environmental Technologies, Al Awani General Enterprises, Omeir Travels, Kabale, YAS Channel, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club,  Mohammed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School,  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 2018, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.

Source: HH SH Mansoor Festival / Satya Narayan
Photos: Morhaf Al Assaf