September 16, 2013, Swiss ~ Akkar, a four-year-old trained by Eric Dell’Ova and ridden by Olivier Placais won the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup race in Avenches in Switzerland September 14.
The Wathba Stud farm Cup series is organized by the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival to boost the Arabian racing at the grass roots level and a quality field of horses took part in the 1800-metre race which carried a prize fund of Euros 10,000.
Akkar finished ahead of Nil Ashal under jockey Aurelien Lemaitre while Victorie De Carrere under Romain Auray finished third. The winning margin was three lengths and the time was 2:3.78.
“While organizing 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.
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 Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), 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 Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2013, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Wathba Stud Farm, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Hotel and SPA and Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah.
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