The opening race of the meeting, for horses in private ownership, attracted the maximum field allowed of 15, but very few were ever able to get involved with the race developing into a duel throughout the straight between AF Tathoor and Dahess D’Arabie.
The former had taken up the running just after the halfway point, having tracked early leader, Nawwaf KB with Connor Beasley matching the move on Dahess D’Arabie, trained by Helal Al Alawi for Abu Dhabi Racing.
Beasley’s mount gained the initiative about 300m out, running on strongly to win quite comfortably in the end with AF Tathoor holding on for second. In doing so, the 5-year-old gelding was doubling his career tally having made a winning local debut, last March, in a 1200m maiden on the Abu Dhabi turf.
ES Almas under Richard Mullen finished third.
The winner completed the Dh 70,000 1400-metre race in 1:36.87.
Al Alawi, who trains at The National Stables in Al Ain, said: “Our horses are performing well, so we were quite hopeful one of our three runners in the race could win and that was a good performance.
He has now won on dirt, which he was racing on for just the second time, and turf, so hopefully it opens up more options for the future.
Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), Faisal Al Rahmani, IFAHR Chairman and Al Ain racing chief along with others gave away the trophies.
The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, with National Feed and Flour Production and Marketing Co. LLC as associate sponsors, The National Archives as the official partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and sponsored by Ayadi LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC, Wathba Stallions, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club, Mohamed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Omeir Travels, Laboratories Fadia Karam Cosmetics, YAS Channel, Racing Post, Paris Turf, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2017, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.
