Toulouse, France: Three winners from 2014 are part of the strong line-up for Friday’s Group 2 Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Prix De Carthage – Hannibal) at the Toulouse Hippodrome in France.
Last year’s winner Sir Bani Yas, Djet Taouy, the winner of the Shaikh Zayed Cup at Newbury and Valentin, a winner in Berlin last year are all starting in the 2000 metre turf contest which carries a total purse of Euros 35,000 (Dh136,644).
“This Toulouse race gains added importance as it is the inaugural leg of the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s European Purebred Arabians Triple Crown which sees the cream of the Europe-based horses contesting for an additional Euro 50,000 bonus,” said Lara Sawaya, Executive directory of the Shaikh Mansour Festival.
“Duindigt racecourse in The Netherlands hosts the second round on June 28, while the final and decisive leg will be staged at Sluzewiec racecourse in Poland on August 23. The horse that has earned maximum points with its performance in the three races wears the Festival’s European Purebred Arabians Triple Crown and the Euros 50,000 bonus.
Defending champion Sir Bani Yas will be one of the favourites. Owned by The President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and trained in France by Jean-Francois Bernard, the five-year-old son of Amer won both 2014 starts and the connections will be looking forward for a great start of the series which culminates in the world’s richest Arabian horse race, the Euro 1.2 million Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup Group 1 at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club in Abu Dhabi on November 8.
Apart from Djet Taouy (D Michaux) and Valentine (M Foulon) the other runners include Photon Du Lop (FX Bertras), Ammar (Oliver Peslier), Najilaa (T Henderson), Al Mouwaffak (J Auge), Wathah (RC Montenegro) and Beune De L’Ardus (D Morisson).
Meanwhile, Omani lady jockey Azhar Al Wardi partners Shen in the seventh leg of the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship IFAHR.
The Ladies race has attracted nine runners going to post early in the evening at the same venue and will be contested over a mile and carries Euro 30.000 in prize money.
Experienced Irish lady jockey Aine O’Connor who has already tasted success in Australia two years ago, will be riding Qatar’s Forgehill Cartier.
“I was told that he has a win, two seconds and three thirds and has finished only once out of the frame in 13 starts. I think this is a good form and with little touch of luck things could be promising,” she said.
The other lady riders are Eilidh Grant (USA), Silja Storen (Norway), Annelise King (Australia), Hana Jurankova (Austria), Nicole Schlatter (Switzerland), Alexandra Rosa (France) and Larissa Bieb (Germany).
