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Poulain does it the smart way

The Five-year-old son of Naugatin was perfectly poised with the leading group before he took the shortcut home turn to lead and hold on courageously when challenged by Athlete Del Sol in the final strides.

The winner has brilliantly handled the soft ground to cover the 1900m distance in 2:09:2 to the delight of Owner and trainery Huub Otermans who commented: “He’s a good horse. The soft ground was a concern but he picked up nicely. Peitrasiewicz gave him a great ride.”

Vizir des Cedreas and Bachi Bouzouk finished second and third respectively while favourite Rasheeqah crossed the line disappointingly in fourth place.

Rachel King, riding Sankado, held very strongly to win the Shaikha Fatma bint Mubarak Ladies Fegentri Cup, from fast finishing Athlete del Sol, under defending champion Tina Henriksson.

Sankado won in a time of 2:12.8 over the 1900 metres distance with Phraseur Kossack in third place. The two of the five-race card were held as part of the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Racing Festival which is organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

The race attracted a big crowd of racegoers on a cool rainy weekend. UAE ambassadors and some of the world’s top owners, breeders, trainers, vets and racing officials who were here to attend the World Arabian Racing Conference also attended the race.

“It is a great win for me as I had won on this horse last year and today I could not have asked him more,” said Peitrasiewicz.

Shaikha Najla Al Qasimi, UAE Ambassador to Sweden, Ali Thani Al Suwaidi, Ambassador of the UAE to The Netherlands, Asim Mirza Al Rahmah, UAE Ambassador to Poland, Mohammad Mir Abdullah Al Raisi, UAE Ambassador to France, Heba Hamoud Al-Jenaibi, second secretary at the UAE Embassy in London, and Obeid Al Suweidi, First Secretary of the UAE Embassy in the Netherlands, along with Lara Sawaya, Director of Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Racing Festival, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, and Stephen Bowey, Executive Director, Marketing of Invest AD, took part in the prize distribution of the two races.

“This has been a truly great day for the Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Racing Festival as the two races carry the UAE’s prestige with them. Two quality races and with so many important members of the racing fraternity in attendance the race meeting has achieved great success,” said Lara Sawaya.

Stephen Bowey said, “This has been a tremendous day of racing: historic, exciting, and symbolic of the promising future for Arabian flat racing.”

The Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival is organized by ADACH, co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society. The Festival’s activities are staged with support from Invest AD, HSBC, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, Areej Al Ameerat, La Sirene, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2011,Wathba Stud Farm and Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

hisham@khaleejtimes.com