It was a hat-trick of wins for the Al Yaqoub Arabians’ owned Ain Joot, trainer Eric Lemartinel and jockey Gerard Avranche in the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup For Private Owners Only at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on February 15, 2015.
It was a big race meeting which included the Dh 3 million Group 1 President’s Cup and in the Wathba Cup Ain Joot under Avranche came with a fine turn of foot in the final 200 metres of the 1400-metre contest to finally win by three lengths from Tm-Ac-Dc.
Tm-Ac-Dc looked to be heading to give Shane Karlsson a second win after the Swedish jockey had registered his first winner in the UAE in the first race of the day. Tm-Ac-Dc led up to about 300 metres from home when Ain Joot under Avranche caught up and then went on to post a third successive win in the Wathba Stud Farm Cup.
Ain Joot had given the French trainer-jockey pair wins in the Wathba Stud Farm Cup on December 21, 2014 and then again on February 1 this year to make it three in a row and his 5th win in 12 starts.
“They went pretty quick,” said Avranche and I was always confident the leaders would tire. At the top of the straight my horse started to pick up nicely and has won comfortably in the end.” The winner completed the 1400-metre distance in 1:30.20.
Later in the day, Thakif, owned by HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs won the Dh 3 million HH The President’s Cup (Group 1)under Harry Bentley for UAE trainer Majid Al Jahouri.
UAE jockey Ahmed Ajtebi tried to make all on the winner’s stable companion Areem, but his stamina failed him and he had no answer to Bentley’s mount who took up the running 300m from the post.
They soon went clear but had to run all the way to the line with Abu Alabyad, winner of the course and distance trial two weeks ago, trying hard to get past.
It was close at the post but Bentley’s mount had done enough to add to his amazing career record.
“He is a real favourite of mine and this was my sixth win on him this season – including a 1600m National Day and twice over 1000m in Group 3 company,” Bentley said.
Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairman of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairman of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) said, “The Wathba Stud Farm Cup series has produced many star winners and Ain Joot is the latest to join that list. This series is being run here in Abu Dhabi to encourage private owners only and Al Yaqoub Arabians is one of the success stories of the local breeding programme.”
“We also congratulate HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs for the success of Thakif in the prestigious HH The President’s Cup. It has been a great weekend after the HH The President of the UAE Endurance Cup 160-km endurance ride held on Saturday under the umbrella of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival in Al Wathba.
The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare with The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers and sponsored by Invest AD, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2015, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Abu Dhabi Sports Channel and Racing Post.
