Salima Al Taleel powers Mirabella to glory in Berlin
I am delighted to make it a winning start, she says
Berlin: Top Omani lady jockey Salima Al Taleei partnered Mirabella del Sol to glory in the fourth round of the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship IFAHR while Poulain Kossack has successfully defended his crown in the third round of the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup series (Listed) for Purebred Arabians at the Hoppegarten Racecourse here on Sunday.
However, the Abu Dhabi-based professional lady jockey stole the limelight on her debut in the world’s richest women’s horse race which carries €20,000 (Dh96,358) as prize money. Mirabella del Sol raced against the fences to attack the leading pair in the concluding stages of the trip and covered the mile distance in 1:49:80 seconds as he prevailed by three quarters of a length. Lillij Ann looked like a winner with less than 50 yards to go before being piped by the courageous Omani lady in the shadow of the post and relegated to second.
Meanwhile, Al Taleei has joined the elite lady riders who will line up for the final of the championship when the races return to the capital of the women races at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club in November.
“I am truly delighted to make it a winning start in this outstanding event and let’s hope for the better in the future,” a jubilant winner said later.
Meanwhile, defending champion Poulain Kossack under J. Bojko, who have won this race last year and a winner of the 2010 North European Derby, did everything right to complete a treble after the brilliant performer cruised to a comfortable win in Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup.
Jumaa Mubarak Al Junaibi, the UAE ambassador to Federal Republic of Germany, alongside Lara Sawaya, Director of HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Head of International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) Ladies Racing, Khaled Baomer, Oman ambassador to Germany, Ebrahim Mahmoud Ahmad Abdulla, Bahrain ambassador to Germany, Ali Mosa, director general of the Dubai Equestrian Club, Saif Al Awani, chairman of Al Awani Group of Companies, presented the prizes and trophies to the winners.
Al Junaibi said the victory of the Omani lady is something great and delightful. “I would like to thank Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, for his continued support and backing of the festival,” he said.
