H.H. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival

Official Website / CALENDAR 2012

Kentucky Bay wins Wathba Stud Farm Cup
at Ferndale

California -The Victorian Village of Ferndale played host to the second edition of California's four Wathba Stud Farm Cup races. A field of 7 maidens entered the starting gate to travel the five-furlong distance.

Up N Running, ridden by Dionicio Navarro, took the early lead into the first turn and continued down the backstretch setting the early fractions followed far behind by Limit lace, Hitdamark, and EC Numero Quest.

As the field turned for home a determined Kentucky Bay with Barrington Harvey on board and Hitdamark ridden by Matt Garcia closed fiercely on the outside. When they crossed the wire it was too close to call. After what seemed like an eternity for the connections, the tote board showed that Kentucky Bay had prevailed by half a length over Hitdamark.

Kentucky Bay is a five year old daughter by The Kentuckian out of Selma Croixnoire, by Ala Croixnoire, Foaled in Virginia by James Morris and owned by John Gish. She is trained by Ariel Gordon and assisted by Ruby Thomas.

The race is organised under the directives of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan within the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Racing Festival in collaboration with the Moroccan Royal Company for the Encouragement of the Horse, the Kingdom's horse racing governing body.

According to Ms Lara Sawaya, director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival and head of IFAHR ladies racing, under the directives of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the numbers of the Wathba Stud Farm Cup races will be increased to from ten to twelve in 2013.

"The HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship IFAHR will be held during the month of June in California. The government of California has approved the move and it will be the first time ever for the region to witness women competing aboard Arabian horses there," she said.

Meanwhile, the next round of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak ladies World Championship will be held for the first time at Croan Racetrack. The announcement of the race will be made together with the announcement of the upcoming fourth edition of the World Arabian Horse Racing Conference which will be held in Toulouse from June 5 to 9, 2013.

The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Arabian Horse Society and IFAHR, supported by General Authority for Youth and Sports and Fegentri with Emirates airlines as the official carrier and sponsored by Invest AD, Al Rashid Investment, Areej Al Ameerat, Mauzan, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, the UAE's General Women's Union, the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2012, Wathba Stud Farm and Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

Saada Saab Antipas
Press Coordinator