Abu Dhabi -  Gerald Avranche gave Ain Jaloot every assist to land this season’s sixth round of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup For Private Owners Only, a Purebred Arabians handicap event contested over six furlong at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday, December 21.  

The race is held under the directives of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs as part of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.

After a slow start, Ain Jaloot went wide at the home turn, but soon settled and raced from the centre of the track to prevail by six lengths with Vernet under Wayne Smith running in second and Major under Jose Santiago in third place.

With a strong field of 13 in the fray, Ain Jaloot took 1:19.34 to finish the distance of 1200-metres.

The winning jockey Gerald Avranche was delighted and said. “My horse has started from the wide draw No. 10, but he settled well after the home turn and produced high speed when I urged him for that extra effort in the final two furlongs.”

French handler Eric Lemartinel added: “He’s a big, honest horse who has seldom run a bad race. He has finished in the money in seven of his nine starts including this race which marked his second career win.”

The five-year-old son of Amer is bred and owned by Mansour Al Yaqoub at the Al Yaqoub Arabians Farm Stud.
“The Wathba Stud Farm Cup races became a legitimate target for all owners thanks to the strong support of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the festival. We have now enough races for our horses and that’s great,” the winning owner said.

Adnan Sultan, Director General of the Abu Dhabi equestrian Club said: “The Wathba Stud Farm Cup races provided a very good opportunity for the private owners to compete among themselves where there’s a big room for all to visit the winners enclosure more than once. The numbers of races have increased and the prize-money for the owners and breeders motivated many people to own and breed Arabian horses and this is the main objective of the competition.”

Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director, HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairman of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairman of Ladies Racing & Apprentice Racing Committee in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) thanked HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan for this support to the local breeders in the UAE.

“This Wathba Stud Farm Cup series in very popular both here and in the rest of the world where it is organised. IT gives opportunities for the smaller breeders and owners to compete against each other and encourages them to further the cause of Purebred Arabian horses,” she said.

 “On January 3, 2015 an international press conference will be staged to announce the calendar of the 2015 international activities of the festival as well,” Ms Sawaya said.

The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with Arabtec Holding PJSC as the Official Partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Invest AD, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Rashid Investment, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE's General Women's Union, the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2014, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Abu Dhabi Sports Channel, National Archives and Racing Post. 

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf