The Wathba Stud Farm Cup, which is part of the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and is organized by the Abu Dhabi Authority of Culture and Heritage (ADACH), was held for the first time at the Avenches race course in Switzerland and attended by a large number of Swiss racing fans.
Jockey Jean Baptiste Hamel rode Rami to victory beating Germany’s FF Terska and in third place was another Shaikh Mansour-owned horse, Tarfa.
Banjo du Loup and locally-based Nil Ishan IbnalSakbe finished fourth and fifth respectively.
“This is a good win and we are now hoping that both Rami and Tarfa will do well next season. It is Rami’s third win in a row this season,” said Marcial Boisseuil, manager of the Wathba Stud Farm.
Rami finished the 1800-metre race in 2 minutes 09.8 seconds and won by 1.75 lengths from FF Terska.
The UAE ambassador to Switzerland Salem Obaid Al Za’abi, who gave away the winning trophies, said, “The Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Abu Dhabi Authority of Culture and Heritage (ADACH) are at the forefront of promoting Purebred Arabian horses and this has boosted the UAE’s status and reputation worldwide.”
Al Za’abi added: “Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, is continuing the considerable efforts made by the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in the context of preservation of heritage and tradition.
Horse racing has heritage and culture. It is one of the sports with a large fan following in the UAE and Switzerland. In addition to promoting Arabian horses, this activity is also promoting trade and bilateral relations between the two countries.”
The director of communications of Abu Dhabi Authority of Culture and Heritage, Abdullah Al Qubaisi, said: “It has been a great start to the Wathba Stud Farm Cup series and even more significant that the event was held for the first time in Switzerland.”
The director of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Lara Sawaya, who also took part in the prize distribution ceremony, said: “Fans here at the Avenches race course got to see some top class Purebred Arabian racing and we hope that this start will grow and progress into making Arabian racing more popular here in Switzerland,”
Stephen Bowey, representing Invest AD, one of the sponsors, said, “We are delighted to be part of this first step taken in raising the status of Purebred Arabians in this part of Europe.”
Mussalam Alamri, racing manager to Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan said, “Rami winning this race and Tarfa finishing third is pleasing to us but more important is the fine start to the new season with this race in Avenches.”
The Wathba Stud Farm Cup races are co-ordinated by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and sponsored by Invest AD, Bonyan International Investment Group (Holding) L.L.C, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition and Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
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