Nizam Al Gharbia, under leading jockey Silvestre De Sousa, did well to stave off a strong challenge from Masharef under Adrie De Vries and prevailed by a neck on the line in the seventh round of the H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival's Wathba Stud Farm Cup race at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club yesterday.
Early leader Safina Ghantoot dropped back to finish more than nine lengths behind in third place in the first meeting of 2015 at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
The four-year-old homebred son of Nizam from Hadia De Faust by Dormane had a good start to the New Year after claiming his second success of the season in four starts.
Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club and Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, presented the prizes and trophies to the winning owner, breeder, trainer and jockey.
"I would like to thank H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, for his great initiative to encourage Arabian horse breeding within the UAE," said Suhail Ali Salmeen Ali Al Mazrouei, the winning owner and also the breeder of the horse. Al Mazrouei also earned a cash bonus from the H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival to support breeding in the UAE.
The H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with Emirates airline as the official carriers.
Source: WAM