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Shaikh Mansoor Festival to make Texas debut today

DUBAI - The Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival makes a debut in Texas when the festival’s Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Grade 3) race for Purebred Arabian horses gets underway at the Sam Houston Race Park in Houston on Saturday.

Saturday’s race, which carries a purse of $ 20,000 is the first of the 2011 series for races for the Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup, which is part of the Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) in association with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and in coordination with Emirates Arabian Horse Society.

After Saturday’s race in Texas, the Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup will be held in Toulouse in France, Duindigt in the Netherlands, Delaware Park in the US, Berlin in Germany, Frankfurt in Germany, Warzloviec in Poland, Croan in France and finally end in Abu Dhabi.

The top runners for the mile-long race are headed by Grilla, winner of the UAE President’s Cup race last year. Also in the race is TM Fred Texas coming off his Grade 2 win in the Texas Six Shooter while Chriss SWA, winner of the Texas Derby in 2010 and four-year-old Texas Horse of the Year in 2010 make it a strong field of runners.

Other runners include Dancers Traveller, Status Symbol, My Zoom Zell, TM Let It Be and Danceforever.

Abdulla Al Qubaisi, director of communications of ADACH, said: “We are already in the third year of the Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing series and this year the Festival has definitely got bigger and better.

“Staging this race at Sam Houston Race Park is a prestigious beginning for the festival at this world famous racing centre. Over the last two years we have seen our presence at Delaware Park in the East of the US grow and this is another new beginning for the Festival,”

Lara Sawaya, director of Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival, said, “This is our first race here and the Group 3 status has ensured some of the best Purebred Arabians have entered. This reflects the status of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival’s race series here in the US.

“During the race there will also be a draw which will enable two lucky winners to an all-expenses-paid trip to visit Abu Dhabi during the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2011.”

Stephen Bowey, Executive Marketing Director Invest AD, said, “We are delighted to once again be partners in what is a great initiative by HH Sheikh Mansoor and are proud of the success that this Festival has achieved in the last two years;”

Ali Al Mulla, Chairman of Areej Al Ameerat, said, “Purebred Arabian racing is part of the UAE’s heritage and culture and we strongly believe in our support to the activities of the Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival.”

The festival’s races are sponsored by Invest AD, Areej Al Ameerat, the UAE’s General Women’s Union , Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2011,Wathba Stud Farm and AD Equestrian Club.