May 17, 2013, London ~ Press Release ~ Leading Arab and Omani lady jockey Salima Al Taleei, will be once again among 12 international riders who make the lineup in the UK qualifier as the fifth round of the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) gets underway at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday.
The race which will be run over a mile and is for Purebred Arabians rated 50-80, is the fifth of eleven qualifiers in the series for invited lady riders which culminates in a grand final in Abu Dhabi in November. A maximum field of 14 lady jockeys will make the lineup, including the 11 winners of the series plus three riders to be named by the organisers.
The UK qualifier of the series will be staged as the penultimate race on an eight-race programme which features the Group-1 JLT Lockinge Stakes and will be broadcast live in the UK and the United Arab Emirates via Racing UK and Abu Dhabi Sports Channel.
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi-based Omani jockey is the first Arabian lady to be granted a professional jockeys license and has made her series debut in Berlin earlier this month where she won the German qualifier.
The race is organised under the directives of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, will be held as part of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Racing Festival over a mile for Purebred Arabians rated 50-80 which carries a total purse of Euro 20.000 in prize-money as the world’s richest ladies horse race.
However, Norwegian lady amateur jockey Veronica Aske who has won this race in its Newbury’s inaugural edition last year is perfectly drawn in stall three and will lodge her claim aboard Al Kashif. The 19-year-old Becky Brisbourne, whose most recent outing at Newbury was in an Amateur Riders Handicap last August, will fly the flag for Great Britain astride Akmal from stall eleven. Nicole Sclatter, representing Switzerland, rides Syrah Gris and jumps from stall seven, French rider Lara Le Geay partners Djoulla and break from the fifth draw, Jana Foerster carries the hopes of Germany aboard Sophia from stall nine, Shadiya will be ridden by Hungarian lady Alexandra Bihari and will be loaded up in gate No. eight, Sweden jockey Josephine Kelly takes the ride on Zayin Shamern from stall four. Ireland’s Marta Pisarek was widely drawn in stall 12 and has a lot of work to do with her mount Altesse Kossack. Leonie Vethaak from Holland partners Hasheemah and jumps from stall ten, while American lady Jeannie Cook aboard Hajes was drawn in stall one and Italian rider Jessica Marcialis astride Hareer will start from stall two.
Lara Sawaya, director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Head of International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) Ladies Racing thanked the festival’s partners and sponsors, as well as the media for all the support and backing they have been providing to make their job easier.
“We are truly excited to be here again after the unprecedented success which has been experienced last year when 14000 spectators were turned out to watch the race. Newbury is the home of best Arabian racing in Europe and the riders are looking forward to the experience of competing there,” she said.
Lady Jockey Profiles:[gview file=”https://horsereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Newbury-Arabian-Race-Lady-Riders.pdf” save=”1″]
“All activities associated with HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Arabian Horse Racing Festival are streamlined on line via web TV at http://www.sheikhmansoorfestival.com/
The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global rabian 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 Sheikha 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 Mangrove Hotel and SPA and Jannah Hotel and Resort.