Paddys Day award

16 February 2016, Abu Dhabi, UAE ~ The evening after the HH The President’s Cup Dh 3million Group 1 race meeting for Purebred Arabians, a gala get-together followed at the poolside of the Eastern Mangroves Anantara Hotel & Spa on Sunday, 14 February 2016.

Amidst musical performances by various artistes an awards ceremony celebrated two of the top horses from the American and European continents.

Paddys Day entered history books as the first winner of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s newly-introduced Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup series’ Triple Jewel competition.

The 4-year-old Paddys Day dominated the Triple Jewel competition in 2015 with a second place finish to Burning Fleet in the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup – Amethyst Jewel (Grade 1) in Houston on 7 March, a win in the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Emerald Arabian Triple Jewel (Grade 3) in Pleasanton in the second leg on  15 July and rounded the three-leg series with a second-place finish to So Big Is Better in the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Diamond Arabian Triple Jewel in Los Alamitos on 19 September 2015.

The award check of $150,000 was received by co-owners Nicki and Jim Schleimer and brother, Mark Powell.

Ameretto proved his class as one of the top Purebred Arabian horses racing in Europe winning the Polish leg of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Group 3 Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup on 23 August 2015 and with it the European Triple Crown for the fourth year in a row.

Ameretto, the 9-year-old son of Amer, was beaten to second spot by Lahoob in Duindigt on 28 June, and had to win in Poland to claim the European Triple Crown and the bonus of Euros50,000. The first leg winner Al Mouwaffak in Toulouse and Lahoob were not running in this final leg and Ameretto’s task was clear.

Ameretto

With Italian Mauro Maneuddu on board, Ameretto again showed why he is a champion coming up with his traditional finish run to win the 2,600-metre race at the Sluzewiec Racetrack in Warsaw to make it 4-in-a-row with the European Triple Crown.

Dr. Paul Daverio and his wife, Manuela Scharfenberg Daverio, received the cheque 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) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Yacoub Al Saadi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Sports channels, Mussalem Al Amri of Al Jazeera Stables and other representatives of sponsors of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival were on hand to felicitate the various winners.

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, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Invest AD, Bloom, Petromal, Rise General Trading Co. LLC, Hayatna, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, 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 2015, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Yas Channel, Omeir Travels, Racing Post, Paris Turf and Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics.