3 October 2015, Abu Dhabi, UAE ~ An impressive show with the presence of two live race horses inside the hall at the Anantara Eastern Mangroves kick-started the week-long One World, 6 Continents Abu Dhabi the Capital festival which brings the curtain down on the activities of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival for the year 2015.

Draws for the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival’s Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (Group 1), the world’s richest race for Purebred Arabian horses along with those of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) final and the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) final were held amidst an august gathering of horse racing connections and officials from around the globe.

The 2015 Dubai Kahayla Classic winner Manark, trained by Erwan Charpy, drew gate five for the 1600-metre turf contest while the American duo So Big Is Better trained by Mark Powell and Paddy’s Day trained by Scott Powell were drawn in stalls 3 and 10 respectively.
Nacer Samiri-trained Thakif and Eric Lemartinel’s Abu Alabyad, also leading the UAE challenge, were drawn in stalls 12 and 8 respectively while Qatari raider Kalino from Alban De Mieulle’s yard was drawn in stall 4. European hope Athlete Del Sol, trained by Karin van den Bos will start from gate 11.

Paddy’s Day, the 4-year-old and So Big Is Better at 11 years, renew their US rivalry in Abu Dhabi for brothers Scott and Mark Powell.

“It’s his first time out on turf. He travelled well, though it was a long journey, and is training well. We have to wait to find out what would be the case on Sunday,” said Paddy’s Day trainer Scott Powell.

Brother Mark commenting on So Big Is Better said, “He has never raced on turf before and I can’t say how he can handle the surface here. He’s in great form and should get the job done if the race goes in his favor.”

Erwan Charpy said Manark has not raced since he won the Dubai Kahayla Classic in March but that did not worry him. “I’m worried about the surface at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club (ADEC),” he said.

ADEC Director General Adnan Al Nuaimi said, “We didn’t replace the surface at ADEC as the ERA (Emirates Racing Authority) officials said it is good for racing, so there was no need to change it.”

The 14 lady jockeys were also paired with the 14 horses in the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship IFAHR final while the 12 Apprentice jockeys were also drawn on the 12 runners in the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship IFAHR final.

Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the 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), who conducted the draw along with other racing officials said, “We are truly delighted to have the racing fraternity in the Purebred Arabian racing capital of the world Abu Dhabi to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.”

“Thanks to HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, we are launching the inaugural race of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Crown Jewel, the world’s richest Arabian horse race which carries a total purse of Euro 1.2million. There’s more to come in the next few days but we will keep it a secret to surprise everyone,” Ms Sawaya said.

Meanwhile the guests, officials, jockeys, trainers and others have begun to arrive in Abu Dhabi.

The runners, trainers, jockeys and draw numbers:
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown, Purebred Arabians, Euros 1.2 million, 1600 metres (Turf):

Horse, Trainer, Jockey, Draw

1. ABHAAR (AE) – Eric Lemartinel, Tadhg O’Shea (9)
2. ABU ALABYAD (FR) – Eric Lemartinel, Gerald Avranche (12)
3. AF SANADEK (AE) – Ernst Oertel, Royston Ffrench (15)
4. AL JANOOB (GB) – Maria Hagman Eriksson, Fredrik Janetzky (6)
5. ATHLETE DEL SOL (FR) – Karin van den Bos, Carlos Lopez (11)
6. KALINO (US) – Alban de Mieulle,  Olivier Peslier (4)
7. MANARK (FR) – Erwan Charpy,  Dane O’Neill (5)
8. PADDY’S DAY (US) – Scott Powell, Kelsi Purcell (10)
9. RB RICH (US) – E Brand,  Erik McNeil (16)
10. SHATEH (FR) – N Samiri, Szczepan Mazur (2)
11. SO BIG IS BETTER (US) – Mark Powell, Travis Wales (3)
12. THAKIF (FR) – N Samiri, Harry Bentley(8)
13. VOYOU DE FAUST (FR) – S Deeb, Richard Mullen (13)
14. AL MOUHANNAD (FR) – C Baillet, Thomas Henderson (14)
15. RB FRYNCH BROAD (US) – G Smith, Tyler Conner (7)
16. SAHABBA (FR) – Damien De Watrigant, Jean-Baptiste Hamel (1)

HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR), PA – Prestige
1600M(a8F) Turf, AED 200,000:

Horse, Trainer, Jockey, Draw

AF AL ALMAA (AE) – E Oertel, Alexandra Bihari (HUN) (9)
ALIZE (FR) (FR) – S Deeb, Aoi Kinomae(JAP) (8)
AMEER AL REEF (AE) – A Al Hammadi, Josefin Landgren(SWE) (10)
DA’AREEN (FR) – N Samiri, Justine Mercier (FRA) (3)
DELISHESS (US) – P Hammersley, Ann Stokell (GB) (6)
GHADEER (GB) – A Al Raihe,  Lisa O’Neill (IRE) (13)
HAIZOOM (FR) – N Samiri, Rebecca Smith (USA) (4)
MOLAHEN EL ALHAN (AE) – E Lemartinel, Sandee Martin (USA) (2)
NAJM ALEMARAT (FR) – E Lemartinel, Astrid Wullschleger (SWISS) (7)
RB SMOKIN RICH (US) – E Lemartinel, Bouchra Marmoul (MOR) (11)
RB SO RICH (US) – H Al Alawi, Azhar Al Wardi (OMAN) (5)
SAND LEGEND (US) – H Al Alawi, Page Fuller (GB) (12)
SHEIKH DOWN (US) – E Lemartinel, Anna Pilroth (SWE) (1)
TATWEER (FR) (FR) – Erwan Charpy, Sabina Gammelgaard (DEN)(14)

HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Jockey Championship, PA – Prestige, 2200M(a11F) – Turf, AED 150,000:

Horse, Trainer, Jockey, Draw

BURJ KHALIFA (FR) – E Lemartinel, Zoe Vande Velde (BEL) (8)
HAANOOF (FR) – N Samiri, Ommar Lakjal (MOR)(5)
TAKAAMUL (GB) – A Al Raihe, Ismail Koyuncu (TUR) (6)
AAKIF (FR) -A Al Mehairbi, Andrea Fele (ITA) (4)
AL MUNTAKHAB (QA) – H Al Alawi, Conor Hoban (IRE) (3)
ARWAAH (FR) – E Lemartinel, Jomar Torres (Puerto Rico) (12)
NAMROOD (FR) – E Lemartinel, Emil Kunakbaev (RUS) (2)
AK ADOUR (FR) – A Al Mehairbi, Ben Thompson (AUS) (1)
BIBISHEENA (FR)- N Samiri, Ruberlei Viana (BRA) (11)
ESTOURAH (FR) – E Lemartinel, Brandon Duchaine (CAN) (9)
MERZAL (FR) – N Samiri, Isis Magnin (FRA) (7)
NEWBOY DU PAON (FR) – E Oertel, Gustavo Villalba (ARG)(10)

Full Evening Racecard:

[gview file=”https://horsereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Race_Card_Abu-Dhabi-Equestrian-Club_Sunday_08_November_2015.pdf” save=”1″]

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, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Invest AD, Bloom, Petromal, Rise General Trading Co. LLC, Hayatna, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, 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 2015, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Yas Channel, Omeir Travels, Racing Post and Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics.

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