AF Mozhell, owned and trained by Khalifa Al Neyadi, scored a narrow victory to give the Khalifa a third winner for this season.
Jockey Elione Chaves, doubling his tally for the campaign, settled the 4-year-old AF Mozhell just behind the early leader, AF Makerah, before gaining the initiative approaching the 200m pole, immediately seeing off that rival only for Nawwaf KB to emerge as the big danger.
The latter, with Ben Curtis riding for Helal Al Alawi, was closing all the way to the line, but the post appeared just in time for Chaves, who said: “Everything went very well for him today, the first time I have ridden him and—in fairness to the trainer and his team—they were confident of a big run.
It was pretty close at the end, but happily the line came just in time for us and this horse should improve as he was still quite immature.”
Faisal Al Rahmani, IFAHR Chairman and Al Ain racing chief, Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, General Manager of Wathba Stallions, Chairperson of the 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) and 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.
