Essam El Sayed (Abu Dhabi)
Capannelli Racecourse in the Italian capital Rome will host the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup and the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup for purebred Arabian horses on Sunday, while Castra Verdazon Racecourse in France will host two races for the Al Wathba Cup. Thirty-nine purebred Arabian horses will compete in the four races, and the races will be held under the umbrella of the 16th edition of the HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival.
The races are organised with the encouragement and support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (Mother of the Emirates), for Arabian horse racing and promoting the UAE’s heritage.
The Zayed Cup for horses aged four years and above, “Qawaem”, over a distance of 2200 metres, with a prize of 24,200 euros, attracts 7 elite horses, and the strongest horses nominated to win, most notably the horse “Elidor”, the winner of the last two races of the Wathba Stallions Cup, and is ridden by jockey Ai Sayo.
There is the horse “Elino Ditrexanta”, winner of four races, ridden by J. Marcelli, and competing for the title are “Divino” ridden by N. Moro, “Enyamah del Melojo” ridden by AS Solas, and there is “Eolo” ridden by A. Fiori, “MacMira” ridden by AS Gesa, and “Zephyro de Chia” ridden by A. Felli.
The HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Al Nahyan Cup, over 1800 metres and worth 24,200 euros, will attract 12 three-year-old fillies competing for the title on the turf track, led by Vesperoy, ridden by Guy Marcelli, two-time winner of the Wathba Stallions Cup, but he will face strong competition from Farah HCM, ridden by Guy Jingwei.
The Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup and Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Arabian Horse Cup races are broadcast live from the Capannelli Racecourse on Yas Sports Channel and are followed worldwide through the publication of race news on the festival’s social media site.
The French Castra Verdazon racecourse will witness two races for the Wathba Stallions Cup, the first for the Prix Dragon “1” title over a distance of 1700 metres, with the participation of 10 fillies at the age of only three years, competing for the financial prizes of 12 thousand euros, most notably “Ikhlas” led by Marilyn Meyer, and “Tayba”, led by Mathias Laurin, both of which are owned by the Yas Horse Racing Management Company of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, under the supervision of trainer Doe Morrison.
The filly “Sharjah” owned by Yas Horse Racing Management, supervised by A. Vatregant and ridden by jockey Analee Mikush, leads the nominations for the second race of the Wathba Stallions Cup – Prix Dragon “2” with the same specifications as the first race, and is competing with “Alia” owned and trained by Eric DeLova and ridden by Gary Sanchez.
The global festival includes the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Crown Jewel races, the Zayed Cup, the Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup, the Wathba Stallions Cup, and the World Arabian Horse Racing Forum.
The first races of the festival were launched last January, and new races were added this season 2024, and 150 local and international races are being organised around the world, including races from the classified categories of the first, second and third categories.
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