Aoun eyes second success in Sheikh Zayed Cup series
18 August 2018, Ostend, Belgium ~ The Wellington racecourse in the Belgian city of Ostend will play host to three races under the umbrella of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival on Monday, 20 August 2018 .
The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup Group 3with a prize fund of €35,000 will be run over 1800 metres and has attracted eight runners, while the Festival’s HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship will see 10 entries vying for a slice of the €20,000 on offer.
The HH Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony championship race has nine young jockeys in the fray.
Aoun, a Mahabb colt owned by Yas Horse Racing Management – the horse racing arm of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy PM of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs- starts as favorite in the Group 3 Sheikh Zayed Cup.The Antoine De Watrigant-trained Aoun ridden by Ro Montenegro most recently squeezed out Dynamites under Jean Baptiste Hamel for a close win in the €30,000 President of the UAE Cup held on 30 July 2018 in Belgium.
Other runners in this 1800-metre race are Lightning Bolt, Lightfleet, Furry, Lou Rayyal, Rijm, Jamas D.A and Mirabella.
In the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race Dynamites, Storm Trouper, Ziggy D.A, El Zarka D.A, Kao Kat MHF, Suman D.A, Tasha D.A, Eau Divine, Elsa de Faust, Ezzahra du Breuil are the 10 horses that will carry Apprentice Jockeys in the 1000-metre race. The winning Apprentice Jockey will qualify for the November final of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship in Abu Dhabi.
Similarly the nine young jockeys in the pony race will be looking to win and qualify for the final of the HH Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony championship.
Xim de Landsheer, Seppe Balcaen, Xsana Brandts, Seppe van der Donck, Jef Verbeech, Iluna Coryn, Yana Van Rooy, James van der Scheuren, Ruben van der Scheuren are the young jockeys in the Pony race.
“We thank HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy PM of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs for all these races for Purebred Arabian horses and all activities under the Festival,” said 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).
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, The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carrier, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFHRA, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abu Dhabi Youth Council, General Authority for Sports and sponsored by Ayadi LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC, Nissan Middleast Al Massood Automobiles, Nirvana Travels and Tourism LLC, Equicare Veterinary Services, Alawal Stud, Cavalos Equine Care & Supplies, SET Sustainable Environmental Technologies, Al Awani General Enterprises, Omeir Travels, Kabale, YAS Channel, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club, Mohammed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, Racing Post, Paris Turf, 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 2018, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.
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