Delaware: The Darley Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of Arabian racing in the US will now be called the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival Darley Awards as it marks 25 years since its inception.
The Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival will unveil for the first time a Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Fegentri Cup and will also sponsor the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival Darley Awards which will be held in Houston in March 2012.
Lara Sawaya, Director of the Festival; Kathryn K. Smoke, President, Arabian Jockey Club (AJC) and Ted Wright and Denise Gault of the Arabian Racing Cup (ARC) made the announcement in Delaware after the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Group 2) Cup race in Delaware on Saturday.
“The Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival will now stage for the first time ever in the US a race for ladies which will be run in the name of Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Fegentri Cup. The race is for amateurs and will be run on the same day when the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup is held at the Sam Houston Race Park in March next year,” said Lara Sawaya in a press release.
“The Darley Awards, which honours the best in American Arabian Racing annually, will in its Silver Jubilee year in 2012, be awarded as the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival Darley Awards,” added Sawaya.
“And for the first time ever in the Darley Awards, which is likened to the ‘Oscars’ for Arabian racing, the Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award for the best woman in Arabian Racing will also be awarded,” she said.
The 2012 Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival Darley Horse of The Year Award categories are: three-year-old filly; three-year-old colt, four-year-old filly, four-year-old colt, older mare and older horse, breeder, owner, jockey, trainer and Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award for the Best Lady in Arabian Racing.
AJC’s Smoke said she was elated with the support from Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival. “This will go a great way in boosting Arabian Racing in the US and will ensure progress and growth in various parts of the country,” the AJC president said.
“The Darley Awards were founded in 1987 to honour the best in Arabian horse racing. This distinguished ceremony recognises the most outstanding racehorses, jockeys, owners, trainers and breeders of the Arabian community,” said Wright of ARC, organisers of the Darley Awards.
“Award ceremonies present an opportunity for those involved in Arabian racing to celebrate its virtues and award its highest achievers,” he added.
“The Darley Committee selects the nominees and a Voting Academy decides the winners. The Voting Academy is made up of knowledgeable individuals within the racing community, and the champions are announced at the Darley Awards dinner, traditionally a black tie affair,” said ARC’s Gault.
