Qatari raider Rasheeqah looks likely to take all the beating as he starts favourite in today’s Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Arabian Cup (Listed) race – to be run as part of the Emirates Race Day at the Duindigt race course here.

The Alban De Mieulle-trained Amer daughter comes in with an awesome reputation and after winning all six races last year her only flop was to stablemate Raqiyah in the HH the Heir Apparent Trophy in her only start this year.

To be ridden by David Bouland, Rasheeqah with seven wins in nine starts should land this €25,000 race staged as part of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat-racing Festival.

Trainer Alban De Mieulle told Gulf News that the only worry would be the rain.

Good form

“She is in good form and will run well. You have to discount her last run as she was not well. My only worry would be the rain and if the track conditions become heavy,” the French trainer said.

Rasheeqah swept to a classy Group 1 win in France last year on her only other international outing and the Doha-based runner looks set to demolish the field here though there are some seasoned campaigners as rivals.

Bill Smith’s Theoretically and Jean-Francois Shaikh Zayed Cup and will be making a serious bid to outduel Rasheeqah in the 1,900-metre race.
A total of 11 runners take the field in this feature race which is one of the five races for Purebred Arabian horses, the first time so many on a single card have been held in Northern Europe. The Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Fegentri Cup and three other races for Purebred Arabian horses complete the card.

“A special feature of the day will be the agreement with the Dutch Jockey Club that the most prestigious Trotting race of the year, de “Grote Prijs der Lage Landen” (Great Prize of the Low Lands) be held today. This race always attracts a crowd of thousands of spectators, enabling visitors to get acquainted in depth with Arabian Racing at the same time,” said W.J de Ruiter, President of the Dutch Arabian Racing Committee.

Historic

“This is the third year running that the historic Duindigt Racecourse which is over 150 years old is tagging the Shaikh Zayed Cup and this year it is like a festival.

“With the 150 experts, trainers, owners, breeders, vets and officials here for the three-day World Arabian Racing Conference present, we expect the Emirates Race Day to be a huge success in