ABU DHABI 12 May 2019: The European leg of the President of the UAE Cup World Race Series for Purebred Arabians is off to a perfect start with a Euro 1.1 million race included in the French Guineas day meeting at the Longchamp racecourse on Sunday.
Held under the patronage of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the 26th staging of the race series is worked off under the directives of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, said Wam.
The Group 1 race run over the 1,800 metres distance has drawn seven runners including last year’s third and fourth, Lightning Bolt and Khataab, respectively.
The President of the UAE Cup is the seventh of the eight-race card and is expected to attract a TV audience of over 10 million watching it across the world, which is an excellent advertisement for the Purebred Arabian racing.
Taymour carries the hopes of the Yas Horseracing Management of HH Sheikh Mansour in the race.
The five-year-old Mahabb colt trained by Antoine de Watrigant in France and ridden by Francoise Xavier Betras is returning to the track after having won a Group 3 prize in May, stretching his career success to three from seven starts.
Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni, a member of both the Federal National Council and the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), and Chairman of the Organising Committee of the race series, said that by including the President of the UAE Cup in the Guineas card provided the Arabian horse the worldwide exposure as a racehorse.
“Our aim from the outset was to encourage the breeders and owners of the Arabian horse worldwide,” said Al Yabhouni.
“We have this race series around the world for 26 years, officially, and we see it growing. We have also achieved our objectives by including races in some of the world’s most important meetings and attractive prize funds.”
Faisal Al Rahmani, Racing Advisor to ADSC, added: “The UAE’s vision to globalise Arabian racing is well known among the breeders and owners of the species. We are encouraged by its growth.”