Valentin powers Zenith to title win

Dubai - Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, along with other Shaikhs and VIPs attended the ride.

Maeva Valentin of France steered Zenith Des Pins, a horse owned by Mubarak Al Arti, to victory in the Al Wathba Endurance Cup for Private Owners, a 100-km Endurance Ride held at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, along with other Shaikhs and VIPs attended the ride.
A total of 64 riders took part in the National Ride, sponsored by National Feed And Flour Production And Marketing Co. LLC, and the French rider took 3hrs 44 mins 51 secs to finish ahead of UAE riders Saeed Mohd Al Jaber on Highland View Dolly and Salem Hamad Al Kitbi on Mansoor.
Shathra Al Hajaj, a member of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival Ladies team, finished a creditable fourth in the ride which was run in three stages of 40kms, 40kms and 20kms.
"I'm truly delighted to win for the first time for owner Mubarak Al Arti in the endurance races. The race was tough and competitive and the speed was too high in the final loop," said Valentin.
"My horse Zenith Des Pins is a seven-year-old grey gelding and he did very well in final loop which helped to come first from my sixth place at the start of the final 20-km," the winner added.
"The second race of the season was very strong as the riders have committed to the rules and regulations. There were some violations but they were minor and necessary action was taken," said Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, director general of ADEC.
Lara Sawaya, executive director of Shaikh Mansour 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), who gave away the trophies along with the sponsors' representatives, said the festival was gearing up for the November 3-9 'One World, 6 Continents' finale.
"The draw of the world's richest Arabian horse race, the Euro 1.2m Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Crown Jewel (Group 1) will be staged on November 3 at the Anantara Hotel and will be attended by the owners, trainers and jockeys. 16 horses have been declared and all preparations are well in place for the grand finals on November 8 at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club where 800 international guests will be in attendance," Sawaya said.
American trainer Scott Powell said Paddys Day, one of the runners in the Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Crown Jewel had arrived and settled well in Abu Dhabi. "This is his first time out on the turf and we will wait to see how he will handle it," he said. "We congratulate Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the fine win by Mabrooka. Mabrooka had under the same jockey won the Euros 100,000 Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches (Group 1 PA) , another Fillies contest, and this win reiterates what a class act she is," Al Nuaimi said.

Results(top five):
> Maeva Valentin -France- (Zenith Des Pins) 3hrs 44 mins 51 secs;
> Saeed Mohd Al Jaber-UAE- (Highland View Dolly) 3:48.24;
> Salem Hamad Al Kitbi -UAE-(Mansoor) 03:51:02;
> Shathra Al Hajjaj -UAE- (Torryburn Sahbeel) 03:53:54;
> Mohammed Abdulla Ali Saeed (Malricia TC Jillagic) 03:55:21

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