photo Paul Smoke
10 November 2014, Abu Dhabi ~ Watched by an enthusiastic international crowd, the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival‘s Championship races showed the quality of Champion riders and of UAE trained horses at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on 9 November 2014.
HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies’ (IFAHR) World Championship
It was the final race of the opening night of Abu Dhabi’s new season. Thirteen lady jockeys from around the globe had earned the right to be here after 13 races held earlier in the year all around the world.
photo Paul Smoke
Jadey Pietrasiewicz from the Netherlands, a consistent performer in the Festival’s races in Europe, struck it big when she won the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies’ (IFAHR) World Championship on Molahen El Alhan to the delight of the packed stands at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
It was an almost start-to-finish affair on the Ernst Oertel-trained Molahen El Alhan (Al Nasr) for the Dutch jockey’s triumph with Korean, Belgium, Moroccan and Indian lady jockeys taking the next four places.
photo Pamela Burton
Pietrasiewicz rode a supremely confident race, tracking early leader Laamma before challenging early in the straight. Bigg N Rich under Belgian Anna van den Roost loomed as a big danger but was soon seen off and lost second to Laamma under Korean Keumjoo Lee who ran on again in the final 200m.
Oertel, who had sent out a 1-2-3 in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice (IFAHR) World Championship, said: “It has been a great evening. We knew this horse had a massive chance as he is improving all the time. You need luck in these races with the draw and we enjoyed a lot – both with gate two and one of the best jockeys in the race.
“I followed the instructions of the trainer Ernst Oertel and Molahen Al Elhan never let me down,” said the winning jockey.
Apprentice Jockeys (IFAHR) World Championship
It was a fitting finale to the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) final as apprentice jockeys Vahdettin Kaplan from Turkey on Munzade and Frenchman Gianni Siaffa on Najm Alemarat battled all the way to the wire crossing the finish line together. The 2,200m contest which was settled by the judge with Munzade the winner by a short head.
Forgehill Cezanne under Emma Sayer finished third to complete a brilliant 1-2-3 for UAE champion trainer Ernst Oertel for owner His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President.
Oertel said: “We knew coming into the race we had three good chances and was not sure which was our best hope. To get the first three is great.”
Top result:
HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice Jockeys (IFAHR) Prestige Purebred Arabians. 2200m (a 11f), Purse: Dh150.000:
1. Munzade (Ernst Oertel) Vahdettin Kaplan
2. Najm Alemarat (Ernst Oertel) Gianni Siaffa
3. Forgehill Cezanne (Ernst Oertel) Emma Sayer.
Distances: SHD/ 1L Time: 2.33.33 Twelve ran.
Winner owned by HH the President Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Group-3)
media photo
UAE trainer Majed Al Jahouri’s Thakif won the 1600-metre Group 3 contest for winning owner HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
It was a fourth consecutive win for Thakif under Harry Bentley and trainer Al Jahouri, and it was the perfect start of the season for the Emirati, winner of all of the Group 1 races for Purebred Arabians in the UAE last season.
Top result:
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Group-3) Purebred Arabians 1600m (a 8f) Dh420.000:
1 – Thakif (Majid Al Jahouri) Harry Bentley
2 – Shateh (Majid Al Jahouri) Saeed Al Mazrouei
3 – Shayl Aldhabi (Ernst Oertel) Tadhg O’Shea
Distances: 1.25L/ 3.25L Time: 1.43.82 Ten ran
Wathba Stud Farm Cup
UAE trainer Saeed Hadher Al Mazrouei registered his first-ever career win when Live Rich (TH Richie) partnered by jockey Tadhjg O’Shea won the 1600m Wathba Stud Farm Cup series finale.
In fact it was a quick double in the third race of the opening meeting for the 2014-15 season here in Abu Dhabi for O’Shea who had earlier won the first race on Abhaar.
“Live Rich is in very good form and frankly I was expected him to run well and win,” said a jubilant trainer Saeed Al Mazrouei later.
Wathba Stud Farm Cup (Private Owners Only) PA 1600m (8f) Purse: Dh70.000
1 – Live Rich (Saeed Al Mazrouei) Tadhg O’Shea
2. AF Masharef (Eric Lemartinel) Gerald Avranche
3. Dere’a Al Jazeera (Saifaldin Deep) Royston Ffrench.
Distances: 0.5L/ 0.5L, Time: 1.47.69, Eleven ran.
The race evening was attended by HH Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development and Chairman of the General Youth & Sports Welfare Authority, as well as other top officials from the UAE, international guests and friends of the Arabian racing fraternity.
The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organized 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 and Racing Post.
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