On 21 August the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival Sponsored the day at Sandown Park in the UK

28 August 2015 UK ~The excellent HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship series returned to the UK with a 1m2f handicap at Sandown Park on 21 August. It was the first event on the eight race card which was sponsored in its entirety by the Sheikh Mansoor Festival.

With little between the 10 runner field on official ratings it promised to be an interesting contest. Sharaf, a half-brother to the exciting Group 1 winner Muraaqib, set the pace under UK representative Rob Hornby. Oriental Myth and Manuel Fernandes for Portugual were tucked in behind on the rail in company with Maazin and Poland’s Kamil Grzybowski, with Zayin Zachilles and Nicola Sechi for Germany between them and Maghazi under Hungary’s Adam Benko on their outside.

As they rounded the turn to face Sandown’s infamous hill, they spread across the track, Sharaf still out in front with Magahzi, with Zayin Zachilles stalking them on the rail. Irishman Ian Queally had to get serious with Karar, but he responded gamely for pressure and was challenging Maghazi for second. Also running on well was Man Of Dreams for Sweden’s Fanny Olsson; he had won the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship event at Lingfield on his seasonal debut.

Karar ( Dahess x Laila) hit the front with a quarter of a mile to run, drawing a couple of lengths clear, but with his ears pricked was idling and clearly still had plenty in hand. Man Of Dreams moved into second, but was no match for the leader, with the game Sharaf just a neck back in third, ahead of Maghazi.

The young winning Irishman was in fine form, having ridden a winner at his native Killarney the previous evening. Speaking after the race he said. “It was a brilliant experience. My first time ridding in the UK, completely different to what we’re used to in Ireland and I’m delighted to ride a winner. Arabians are a little bit different to the Thoroughbreds, Joseph O’Brien gave me some sound advice when I told him that I was riding in an Arabian race, as I’d never ridden one before.

“This series is a fantastic opportunity for young riders and I’ve just heard that I will be going to Abu Dhabi to ride in the Finals in November, so I’m really looking forward to that.”

Trainer Beverly Deutrom, who had endured a nightmare trip with this horse to Belgium recently, was delighted with her horse’s performance and that of the fourth, Maghazi. {Regarding Belgium} “It was a horrendous trip; we had a blow out and had to wait at the side of the road for four hours, so Belgium was just a write off basically. They’ve bounced back amazingly here. We’re only an hour away from Sandown, so it’s ideal for us. Karar is a nice young horse that won this last year by default, but he’s still backward, mentally and physically, so next year we hope he will be even better.

“I think it is a fantastic series, obviously you have to go in with your eyes open and realize that you might not get an experienced apprentice. For example, Maghazi’s rider probably got outridden today, but he has had few rides in comparison to most of the others, though we had a great jockey in Ian Queally for Karar.”

Finish:

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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 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, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), 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 2015, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Yas Channel, Omeir Travels and Racing Post and Laboratoires Fadia Karam Cosmetics.

Report by Debbie Burt