May 22, 2013, Duindigt ~ Raymond Chang steered Speed Kossack to open the 2013 HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Horse Race Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm with a win at the Duindigt race course May 19.
Speed Kossack (Nougatin x Speedy V Kossack), trained by M. Weber for owner Huub Otermans, has had a lot of success in this series over the past, and this time he won by over a length from the Gillian Duffield-trained Sadiq (Marwan x Saklia) owned by Margaret de Ruiter-Floor.
Plastin finished third and the Jean Francois-Bernard-trained La Nonito was fourth. The winner completed the 9-furlong (1800-metre) race in a time of 2:9.9 to win a major share of the prize money in the field of eight.
“In organising the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority has the preservation of the UAE’s cultural heritage and traditions as its driving principal,” Mr. Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism& Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) said in a message.
“Equestrianism in general, and Purebred Arabian racing in particular, has been a part of the life and spirit of every Emirati and by promoting this sport globally the Festival seeks to enhance the status of Arabian racing,” he added.
“Under the directives and support of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Head of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood the Festival has achieved tremendous success and we intend to continue and build on this,” Al Muhairi said.
“Sunday’s race was the first of the race series slated for The Netherlands in the Wathba Stud Farm Cup series and this has been a highly successful endeavor by the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Horse Race Festival,” said Ms Lara Sawaya, Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Horse Racing Festival and Head of Ladies Racing at IFAHR.
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 co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare and Fegentri with Emirates airlines as the official carrier and sponsored by Invest AD, Arabtec Holding PJSC, Al Rashid Investment, Areej Al Ameerat, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, the HH Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2013, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Wathba Stud Farm , Al Wathba Centre, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Hotel and SPA and Eastern Mangroves Suites- Abu Dhabi by Jannah.
~end press release