In the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s premier ladies race series, the 21-year-old Careddu was making her debut as an amateur jockey and what a way to start in one of the most popular racing events for lady jockeys.
Both Carredu on Afja’an and the Hungarian Mayer on Jaahez ended the race with a thrilling finish and even the photo could not separate the two and both the lady jockeys have now qualified for the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship final to be held in Abu Dhabi in November.
If it was a double delight for the two young lady jockeys, Tadhg O’Shea also made it a memorable event as he notched up a double win in the Festival’s other two main races.
In the Festival’s feature race- the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup- O’Shea scored on Lightning Bolt- the 7-year-old son of Munjiz- a stallion that stands at Wathba Stallions owned by HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
It was celebration time again for trainer Karin van den Bos, owner Landgoed Waterland and O’Shea as Lightning Bolt, a smart winner here in 2018, once again proved his class.
Earlier O’Shea opened his account on the big racing day for Purebred Arabians here in Duindigt by winning the Wathba Stallions Cup on Mazyoonah- owned by HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and trained by James Owen.
The large number of Dutch fans also got their chance to cheer on as Jaicey Bosman from their country scored a smart win on Eldorado in the HH Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony Championship race and qualified for the Abu Dhabi finals.
The UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Her Excellency Hessa Abdullah Al Otaiba, Ms. Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR) and Margaret De Ruiter, Head of Dutch Arabian Horse Racing 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 carrier, in cooperation with Emirates Racing Authority, IFHRA, IFAHR, Emirates Arabian Horse Society, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abu Dhabi Youth Council, General Authority for Sports and sponsored by Ayadi LLC, Global United Veterinary Services LLC, Nissan Middleast Al Massood Automobiles, Nirvana Travels and Tourism LLC, Equicare Veterinary Services, Alawal Stud, Cavalos Equine Care & Supplies, SET Sustainable Environmental Technologies, Al Awani General Enterprises, Omeir Travels, Kabale, YAS Channel, Abu Dhabi Falconers Club, Emirates Falconers Club, Mohammed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School, 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 2018, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Anantara Eastern Mangroves Spa and Resort.
