Ladies' horse race series heads to Oman for the first time

Abu Dhabi: Twelve amateur lady jockeys will line up for Thursday's HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies IFAHR Cup flat race at the Al Flaij Race Course in Muscat, Oman.

The race is part of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival and is being held in Oman for the first time.

A total prize money of US$25,000 is on offer, making it the richest race for lady jockeys held in the Sultanate of Oman.

The UAE Ambassador to Oman, Mohammed Ali Al Osaimi, at a press conference held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Wednesday, said: "The leaders of the UAE lay a huge stress on sport and in particular horse racing. Purebred Arabian horses are part of the UAE heritage and culture and such events help to keep alive the traditions of the country."

Abdullah Butti Al Qubaisi, Director of Communications at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, said: "We are pleased to be here in the Sultanate of Oman as the fourth edition of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival kicks off.

"We thank Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairperson of the Emirates General Women's Union, for her support and we hope the lady jockeys in the Gulf and Arab region receive a boost due to this race."

Ms Lara Sawaya, Director of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival, said: "We are excited with the Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies IFAHR Cup being held here in Oman. After this Oman race the next stop for the Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies IFAHR Cup series will be in Australia later this month."

Representatives of sponsors and officials of various organisations of the UAE and Oman addressed the press conference.

The Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) and co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Arabian Horse Society and IFAHR, supported by Fegentri, with Emirates airlines as the official carrier, and sponsored by Invest AD, Al Rashid Investment, Areej Al Ameerat, Mauzan, Alasabeh Al Sihriya, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, the UAE's General Women's Union, the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2012, Wathba Stud Farm and Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.