DUBAI – Shaikh Mohammed bin Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the final race of the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Racing Festival’s Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup series and distributed the prizes on Sunday at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

After Shadiyda, owned by Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, trained by Eric Lemartinel and ridden by Gerald Avranche, won the Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Prestige) race, Shaikh Mohammed distributed the trophies to the winners.

On the sidelines of Sunday’s race meeting, the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Racing Festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), held an impressive prize distribution ceremony which was attended by trainers and jockeys invited from Europe and leading UAE officials.

Shaikh Mohammed presented the awards to Al Khalidiah Stables manager Shaikh Mutlaq bin Mushrif Al Qahtani and trainer Jean-Francois Bernard for their horse Muqatil Al Khalidiah winning the HH Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Racing Festival’s Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup’s three-race series held in France, Holland and Poland.

Ciaran Madden, ambassador of Ireland to the UAE, Humaid Al Neyadi, general manager of Shaikh Mansour’s Private Office, Abdullah Al Qubaisi, director of Communications Department at ADACH, Lara Sawaya, director of HH Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Racing Festival, Declan Hegarty, managing director, Global Investment Banking-Financing, MENA region, Stephen Bowey of Invest AD, Mussalam Alamri, racing manager for Shaikh Mansour and Adnan Sultan Al Nueimi, ADEC director general and other officials also attended the prize distribution ceremony.

“It has given us great satisfaction as the final race for the 2010 HH Shaikh Mansoor Festival brought an end to a highly successful series.

“We congratulate all the winners and hope that the series will help create awareness in Purebred Arabian horses all over the world,” Abdullah Al Qubaisi said.

“The festival will be bigger next year. Today’s function was attended by leading trainers and jockeys who have expressed their delight and have praised the Festival for what it is doping in the racing world,” Lara Sawaya said.

“We have been part of most of the equestrian activities but the Shaikh Mansour Festival has been a very rewarding event. The response has been tremendous and we at Invest AD are glad to be part of it,” Stephen Bowey said.

Mussalam Alamri said, “The Festival has concluded but the Wathba Cup has just started in the UAE. This race series for private owners will go a long way in helping the Purebred Arabian racing and breeding programmes in the UAE.”

Sunday’s Wathba Cup race was won by Mooser, with trainer Eric Lemartinel and jockey Gerald Avranche completing a double in the two main races of Abu Dhabi’s opening meeting of the 2010-11 season.

The Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan for Global Arabian horse flat-racing series is organised by The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) in co-ordination with Abu Dhabi Sports Council with support from Bonyan International Investment Group, Invest AD, Areej Al Amerat, Wathba Stud Farm, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club and Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2011.