Abu Dhabi: A strong pair of contenders owned by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, along with four others contest the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan — Prix Cheri Bibi — Cup race at the Craon Hippodrome in France today.

Aakif and Ghalib, both owned by Shaikh Mansour will be the ones to beat in a small but quality field contest which is part of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival.

Aakif is a three-year-old trained by Robert Litt and will be ridden by Arnaud Bourgeais while Ghalib under top French jockey Christophe Soumillon is from trainer Jean Francois Bernard’s yard.

Magua, the horse that finished third in the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan (Listed) Cup race held in Frankfurt last month along with Un’art, Chimco and Checker complete the six-horse line-up for the ¤20,000 (Dh104,448) race.

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Today’s race is the penultimate race in the Zayed Cup series and ends with the finale in Abu Dhabi when the UAE racing season starts.

Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Director of Communications, Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) said: “The Arabian horse has a significant presence in the UAE’s culture and heritage and in this contest we are committed to strengthen it thanks to Shaikh Mansour’s effort in promoting Purebred Arabians by hosting races in various parts of the world.”

Lara Sawaya, Director of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival said: “The Festival was organised for the first time in 2009 with few races and it has grown in stature. This year it has witnessed the debut of Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Fegentri Cup in the Netherlands.”

Passion for horses

“The passion for horses on the Arabian peninsula was and still is being transferred from generation to generation. The history of horse riding is centuries-old and our objective is to raise global awareness of this aspect among those who are involved in this sport,” said Sawaya adding today’s race was to be an exciting one.

The Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) and co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Arabian Horse Society with support from Invest AD, Areej Al Ameerat, La Sirene, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2011, Wathba Stud Farm and Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.