Warsaw: All roads in Warsaw will lead to the Sluzewiec race course on Sunday when the His Highness Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival unveils a twin treat for Purebred Arabian horse lovers in Poland.

Eleven horses led by Poulain Kossack will line up for the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan–Nagroda Europy (Group 3) race over 2,600 metres. Meanwhile, the first-ever event for lady jockeys, the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship IFAHR race, has attracted 12 runners.

Poulain Kossack, owned and trained by Huub Otermans, looks the one to beat in the Nagroda Europy, while Russian runner Dostatok hopes to gain some revenge.

Poulain Kossack has enjoyed some great success in the HH Shaikh Mansour Festival winning the Shaikh Zayed Cup in Duindigt last year, but could only finish sixth in the same race this year. Prior to that, Holland’s 2009 champion won a Wathba Cup and the Shaikh Zayed Cup in Berlin this year and is expected to start as the clear favourite.

Dostatok, who was a poor eighth to Sartejano in the Shaikh Zayed Cup last year, has won six starts in Poland this season.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s Shathra Al Hajaj will take on 11 riders from Oman and Europe in the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies’ World Championship.

Oman are represented by Fatima Al Manji and Azher Al Wardi.

With 20,000 euros (Dh90,000) on offer, the Ladies’ World Championship is the richest race for lady jockeys and has understandably caught the imagination of all participants.

“Most of us will be racing on these purebred Arabian horses for the first time and this makes it more open and even,” said Al Hajaj, whose best result in the series is a second place.

Abdullah Al Qubaisi, from the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, added: “The festival has grown in stature with Poland now an important venue for its activities. With the introduction of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies’ World Championship IFAHR race, Sunday’s Arabian Horse Day meeting is all set to become a major event in the racing calendar in Poland.”

Lara Sawaya, Director of the HH Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival and head of IFAHR ladies’ racing, commented: “We are all aware that there are a lot of purebred Arabian horses in Poland.

“The festival’s races give more opportunities for these horses to take part and boost their owners and trainers. This year we already staged a Wathba Stud Farm Cup race here in Poland and, with tomorrow’s two big races, the future looks bright for Purebred Arabian racing in this region.”

Feliks Klimczak, President of the Polish Jockey Club, added: “We have a lot of women involved in horseback riding, but the number of lady jockeys are few. With the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship IFAHR race making its debut, we are confident that those numbers will increase in the near future.”

The HH Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival is organised to promote purebred Arabians in different parts of the world. Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority is sponsoring the event, which is co-ordinated by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and the Emirates Arabian Horse Society.