27 April 2018, Marrakesh, Morocco ~ Aoun, a Mahabb colt owned by Yas Horse Racing Management, won the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Listed) race, one of the four races organized by the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival at the Marrakesh race course in Morocco on Tuesday, 24 April 2018.
Ridden by Roberto-Carlos Montenegoro, the Antoine De Watrigant–trained Aoun finished ahead of Metrag under Jerome Cabre while in third place was Dalsimata Cole ridden by Khalid Abba.
The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Listed) race was the feature event and carried a prize fund of €35,000 and was contested over 1900 metres.
French lady rider Marie Lemartinel and Omani Apprentice Abdul Aziz Al Balushi won their respective races earlier in the day to qualify for the finals to be held in Abu Dhabi in November.
Lemartinel, riding Asraa Oum Rabie, won the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship race. The 1900-metre race with a prize fund of €30,000 saw ten lady jockeys from around the world compete for a place in the grand final in Abu Dhabi.
Germany’s Eva Herresthal on Kouhayl Bouskoura and Croatia’s Sara Giavarini on Rahmamiate l’Atlas finished second and third respectively.
In the 1600-metre HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race which carried a prize fund of €20,000, it was Oman’s Abdul Aziz Al Balushi who topped on Dalile Maamora. Belgium’s Felice Jacobs on Nachwan Ras Al Maa finished second followed by Spanish Apprentice Ignacio Melgarego on Charmsper.
The fourth race supported by the Festival was the Wathba Stallions Cup and Rachid Amenai on Fawzi Al Mels won this €5000 race. Hamoodah Hadouch under Jaouad Kayate and Ourz Fal under Khalid Ibba finished second and third respectively.
HE Ali Salem Al Kaabi the UAE Ambassador to Morocco, Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of 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) and Musallam Al Ameri, Director of Yas Horse Racing Management attended the prize distribution ceremony.
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