Abdullah Khamis adds another big victory

Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed secured his second big win in the UAE's domestic endurance circuit when he rode 11-year-old Shah to victory in yesterday's National Day Cup 120-km event at the Emirates Endurance Village in Al Wathba.

Khamis, who had won the coveted President's Cup in 2000, in fact, finished together with Shareef Mohammed Abdullah Baja on Domino and Ali Hassan Mohammed Al Hammadi (Budran II). But one second separated each of them as they were adjudged to have finished in that order by the Ground Jury.

Khamis was the only one of the top five finishers who was in the lead pack starting off in third place after the first stage and stayed in the top five throughout the 120-km five stage ride.
With an average speed of 21.95kmph, Khamis and his horse Shah along with Abdullah Baja, Al Hammadi and Mubarak Khalifa bin Shafya on Comes The Dawn emerged the front-runners even as the tough route took its toll.