HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival races in Italy

Akoya winning the Sheikh Zayed Cup in Italy

16 September 2018, Ozieri, Italy ~ There is no stopping the winning combination of trainer Karin van den Bos and owner Landgoed Waterland in the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s races.

The latest in a series of wins for the pair came at L’Chilivani racecourse in Ozieri, Italy, on Saturday, 15 September 2018, after Akoya won the feature event out of the three races held under the umbrella of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival.

Akoya under Jean-Baptiste Hamel won the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup, a Listed race with a prize fund of €35,200. Akoya finished nearly five lengths ahead of Shadwan Al Khalediah ridden by Pierantonio Convertino while Ramiz Al Aziz under Andrea Fele finished third.

Akoya had on 2 September given the owner-trainer a win in the Festival’s HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) race at Denmark’s Klampenborg racecourse.

Manou Taouy Wins Wathba Stallions Cup

The trainer, owner combo started their winning team with a double win on the ice and snow tracks of St Moritz in Switzerland with Dynamites in February 2018, again registering a double win on 20 August 2018, at the Wellington racecourse in Ostend, Belgium.

The second race under the Festival’s umbrella here in Italy on Sunday was the Wathba Stallions Summer Cup and Manou Taouy under Andre Fele won the race. Nina Taouy under Mario Sanna finished second while in third place was Zaffiro de Lottas under Dario Di Tocco. Both Manou Taouy and Nina Touay are owned by Manuela Daverio.

Enna Thomas on Sangria was all smiles after winning the Festival’s HH Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony championship race which followed. Thomas will now join the other winners of the HH Sheikha Lateefa series in the final to be held in Abu Dhabi in November.

Enna Thomas winning the HH Lateefa ponies race

HE Mohamad Sulaiman Al Naqbi and Ibrahim Tunaiji from the UAE Embassy in Italy, 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 Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club along with other Italian racing officials gave away the trophies.

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.

~ Festival report