The Hague, Netherlands: The HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) race held at the Duindigt racecourse in The Netherlands on Sunday provided the occasion for a young jockey to ensure there would be reason to cheer for the whole family.

Eighteen-year-old Jaime Gelabert Bautista scored a fantastic win on favourite Hurra to qualify for the November 9 final of the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) series in Abu Dhabi. The same meeting in Abu Dhabi will also see his elder sister Lucia competing in the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship finale after she won the Belgium leg earlier this year.

Spain, which is not even a member of the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), will now be represented in two World Championship finals in Abu Dhabi and this truly reflects the global success of the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.

Sunday’s race was the fourth and final race in the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) series and eight apprentice jockeys including the UAE’s Saeed Al Mazroui lined up. Bautista, on Hurra, from trainer Diana Dorenburg’s yard, came up with a breezy run on the outside to finish ahead of Nabukko under Irish Apprentice Josh Doyle to complete a 1-2 for the Dutch trainer.

Al Mazroui on Derham came up with a late burst and finished third while American Laura Carson on Robbie The First was fourth.

Hurra won by half a length from Nabukko in a time of 2:16.60 in the 1,900 metre turf contest, which carried a prize tag of 20,000 euros.

“The trainer told me to keep her in mid pack and the race went well for me. Hurra had a lot of speed and I did not have to do much once he changed gears,” Bautista said.

“I do not know much English so with my sister Lucia also coming to Abu Dhabi I will be more confident and we will go all out to keep our country’s flag flying high,” he said.

Lucia made a winning debut in the 30,000-euro HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) race held in Belgium on August 18.

Abdullah Hamdan Al Naqbi, UAE ambassador to The Netherlands, Alhan M. Ahmad Al Attar, treasury section head at the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, Wieger Joost de Ruiter, IFAHR treasurer and chairman of the Dutch Arabian Racing Committee and Lara Sawaya, executive director of the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and chairperson of Ladies Racing Committee in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) and chairperson of Apprentice Jockeys and Racing in IFAHR along with other officials gave away the trophies to the winning connections. Earlier they visited a photo-exhibition organised by Morhaf Al Assaf at the race course.

Al Naqbi said, “The brilliant initiative of HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the UAE, to promote this noble creature is highly appreciated and valued by all Arabian horse breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and race-goers around the globe.

“I think this is a real breakthrough to enhance the image of our nation all over the world and strengthen the already excellent ties between the UAE and the rest of the world,” he said.

“It is a great spectacle to watch the Purebred Arabian horses in action here in Europe. Arabian racing is part of the UAE’s heritage and to witness the promotion of our culture here is indeed a proud moment,” said Alhan.