Los Angeles: Valiant Boy SBFAR is turning out to be the latest superstar of Purebred Arabian racing in the US.
Bred by Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of President’s Private Department, in France, the six-year-year old grey scored an astounding victory in the first running of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup at the Los Alamitos race track in Los Angeles on Saturday.
With Ms Dixie pulling out, fans looked forward to another contest between Valiant Boy SBFAR and RB Champagne Taste, with the former proving too good for the third time in a row.
Coming on the back of two Group 1 wins earlier this year, the Charlie Lees-trained Valiant Boy SBFAR decimated his opposition once they headed for home in the 1600-metre contest.
Jockey Ramon Guce was riding the son of Darweesh for the first time and ended up with an easy win, with RB Champagne Taste and Ayers taking second and third respectively. Valiant Boy SBFAR won the dirt contest in 1min 45.84sec.
It was Valiant Boy SBFAR’s seventh win on the trot and brought his career record to 11 wins in 19 starts.
“The trainer told me to just let him settle down, but Valiant Boy wanted to run from the quarter-mile pole itself. I had to hold him back and, once we hit the bend, I let him go and the race was all but over. He is the best Arabian horse I have ever ridden,” said winning jockey Guce.
Liz Collard, representing the winning yard, said: “We came here to support this race and the horse was in superb form. He showed a fine turn of foot and we hope he continues his great form.”
Abdullah Ali Al Saboosi, UAE Consul General based in Los Angeles, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Hamad Al Hamad and Shaikh Saeed Bin Hamad Al Hamad attended the races and the prize distribution along with officials of the Arabian Racing Association of California.
“It is heartening to see an increase in the number of races the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival holds here in the US. Today’s race carries the name of the late President Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and hence is a symbol of pride and honour for us,” Al Saboosi said.
Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the festival and Chairman of the Ladies Racing Committee in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), said: “With Arabian racing just having returned to Los Alamitos after a gap of seven years, fans here today witnessed a champion horse in action. While so many favourites failed to win today in the other races, the Arabian horses ran to form and that is a huge boost for Arabian racing as well as the fans.
“We are looking forward to returning here to Los Alamitos when this track hosts the third race in the Triple Jewel series — the festival’s new series for 2015 for Purebred Arabian horses in the US.”
