Abu Dhabi: The HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s calendar of events for 2016 was unveiled at a press conference held at the Anantara Eastern Mangroves in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, said the festival’s feature event will once again be the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Crown Jewel IPIC, a Group 1 race worth 1.2 million euros (Dh4.9 million) and the richest ever for Purebred Arabians.
Aref Al Awani, Secretary General of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Hamad Ali Al Ahbabi, Supporting Business Department Manager, IPIC ; Esam Abdullah, Emirates Arabian Horse Society; Adnan Sultan, Director General of ADEC; Matar Al Yahbouni, ADSC; Khaled Hussain from the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare; Najla Nasser from National Feed and Flour Production Company; Nadeem Lahd, Emirates airline; Ahmad Al Marzouqi from Sports Court; Nabila Twal from Al Qudra Holding; Genny Hanes representing IFAHR; Sayed Alam from Al Masoud; Shamma Al ketbi, General Women’s Union and Stefano Daneri representing the Italian Equestrian body also attended the press conference.
“The Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Crown Jewel-IPIC race will be held on November 6, 2016 and all the Festival’s events are held under the directives of Shaikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs,” Sawaya said.
“We have already started the international racing with races in Oman and Australia while last week’s Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Listed Cup to be run on the St Moritz ice track in Switzerland was put off due to weather and will be run on February 21.
“While the Festival’s flat-racing will visit new racing venues in Beirut, Lebanon and Rome, Italy, the Darley Awards Stakes at Santa Anita in the US with prize-money of $100,000 (Dh367,000) will carry the name of Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, Chairwoman of General Women’s Union and Chairwoman of Motherhood, Childhood Supreme Council,” she said.
