The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival stops at Chelmsford City Racecourse in the United Kingdom on Saturday with all four of its races series to be run as part of the UAE Abu Dhabi Day.

On Saturday, August 12, 20`17 the Festival will stage the HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Group 1), and the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies and HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Apprentice World Championships (IFAHR) along with three supporting races under the Wathba Stallions banner. The six-race fixture is being staged as part of Chelmsford’s successful music night series and the race meeting will conclude with live music from UB40.

Declarations for the HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Gr1PA) include proven older horses such as Kalino, the winner of the 2015 HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (Gr1 PA), which, with a prize fund of €1.2 million Euros, is the world’s richest Arabian horse race. Also lining up are fellow Group winners Al Mouwaffak, Aghsaan and Swedish raider Macallan, whilst Mith’haf Athbah and Lou Raynal have also been Group placed. Furry, Sha’Hir, Al Raha and Naishaan complete the field in this Group 1 contest with a £80,000 prize fund.

In HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship race, ten lady jockeys from around the globe line-up to win and qualify for the November finals in Abu Dhabi. The runners and riders are MAJID BIN KRAYAAN under Ireland’s Lisa O’Neill; NOBLE ATHLETE under UK’s Ellie Mackenzie; CALLYMAY under Austria’s Manuela Slamanig; KORK MHF under Norway’s Thea Hofossaeter; VINDETTA under Gerrmany’s Tamara Hofer; CONQUER under Oman’s Fatma Al Manji; FARRAH under Spain’s Beatriz Alonso; MADJANTHAT under Denmark’s Rikke Bay Torp; ZAYIN INDIAN FUEGO under Poland’s Roksana Kulaga and KAYCLAIRE under Bianca Willemstijn of The Netherlands.

Germany’s Tamara Hofer, who has ridden over 73 winners from 700 rides and Poland’s Kulaga with 7 winners from 96 races are the two Professional jockeys in the line-up.

The runners and riders in the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) are: KARLOS DU CAYROU under Portugal’s Manuel Fernandes; CHEIK ROQUE under Poland’s Konrad Mazur; EMIRAATY under UK’s Paddy Pilley; MUNBAHER under Germany’s Claudia Pawlak; HALIB DES FORGES under Cyprus Apprentice Marios Demetriou; HAU KOLA under Sweden’s Alessandro Guerrin; STORM TROUPOUR under Jordan’s Milly Naseb; CRAHCK under Norway’s Silja Storen; MAN OF DREAMS under Ireland’s Andrew Breslin and ZAYIN ZODIAC under Zimbabwe’s Jordan Uys.

This race promises to be a highly competitive renewal as four of the ten apprentices have already tasted success at the Essex track. Milly Naseb (Jordan) and Jordan Uys (Zimbabwe), both boast a remarkable 19% strike rate at the course. Also successful here is Paddy Pilley (UK), who in addition to being the most experienced of the riders (41 wins from 535 rides), has also drawn last years’ winner, Emiraaty. Manuel Fernandes of Portugal, who is apprenticed to Newmarket trainer, Sir Mark Prescott, is on a roll with three winners from his last four thoroughbred rides.

“We thank HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy PM of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs and HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood for this full card of six races and an exciting race meeting is on the cards,” said Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of Int’l Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR).

Gemma Cobb, ARO Racing Operations Executive said: “ARO is extremely grateful for the continued support of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival and of its’ Executive Director, Lara Sawaya. I am looking forward to seeing some very competitive Arabian racing at this track, as our meetings have always been very well received by the local racegoers and the meeting has been sold out for a number of weeks now. It is also an honour to facilitate the running of Chelmsford City’s first ever Group 1 race to be staged at the course.”