Sandown Park to host HH Sheikha Fatima Apprentice World Championship race

19 August 2015, UK ~ 10 horses are the final entries for the UK leg of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) on 21 August at Sandown Park Racecourse.

The full day, including the supporting Thoroughbred six-race-card, is sponsored by the Abu Dhabi-based companies TCA Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Invest AD (two races), National Archive of the UAE, National Feed and Flour Production and YAS Sports Channel.

The 2000m Premier Handicap event is open for four-year-old Purebred Arabians and above carries a total purse of £15,000 and features locally bred Arabians as well as those bred in France, Russia the UAE and Holland.

Champion trainer Gillian Duffield is represented by four runners, all in the distinguished blue and white silks of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance. Heading the weights is Oriental Myth, ridden by 23-year-old Portuguese apprentice Manuel Fernandes who is looking forward to seal his 19th career win.

An eye-catching UK debutant is Russian bred Pocelui Vetra, trained by James Owen who is having an excellent first season as a UK Arabian trainer and will be partnered by Oman’s Shakir Al Balushi.

Man of Dreams, is another interesting contender having taken the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) in May this year and will start under Swedish apprentice Fanny Olsson.

In the meantime, top Irish apprentice Ian Queally will take the ride on the decent performer Karar while Mazaaya, the second runner of Sheikh Hamdan will be partnered by France’s Pierre Bazire. Polish apprentice jockey Kamil Grzybowski rides Maazin for trainer Gillian Duffield as Sharaf, the last runner of the Sheikh Hamdan’ quartet will be under Rob Hornby from UK. Other jockeys including Nicola Sechi on Zain Zachilles, Adam Benko on Maghazi and Gabriel Malune on Kallista are also in the fray.

Final Declarations:[gview file=”https://horsereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Sandown-21-August-Declarations.pdf”]

Apprentice Jockeys:

[gview file=”[gview file=”https://horsereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Sandow-Apprentice-Jockeys1.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 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, National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC, 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 Laboratoires Fadia Karam Cosmetics.

~ends