Abu Dhabi: The €1.2million Group 1 Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown, the world’s richest Purebred Arabian race, was won and lost in the Stewards’ room at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Saturday evening.
Defending champion RB Burn, representing the French pairing of jockey Gerald Avranche and trainer Eric Lemartinel, was first past the winning post, a neck clear of the UAE debutant Muraaqib, ridden by two-time British champion Jim Crowley, for trainer Francois Rohaut.
But as Avranche and Lemartinel began to celebrate came the news that the connections of the runner-up had raised an object against the winner.
After closely reviewing the race replay and interviewing both riders, the Stewards deemed that RB Burn had caused significant interference to Muraaqib during the race, and reversed the final placings.
“We received quite a bump and were continually taken off our racing line from about 200m out,” explained Crowley, who is retained by Muraaqib’s owner, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.
“There was interference throughout and if you watch the replay we are carried from close to the rail towards the middle of the track.
“It made a big difference to my challenge and I do believe I was on the best horse on the day. It is not ideal to win any race in the stewards’ room but that is racing.”
Muraaqib is a five-year-old Shadwell homebred. He is the grandson of Shaikh Hamdan’s first great Arabian champion racehorse, Bengali d’Albret.
In the only Thoroughbred contest on the card, the 1,600 metre UAE Martyrs Cup, was won by reigning champion Shamaal Nibras, trained by Doug Watson for the Emirates Entertainment Racing Club (EERC).
“He won this last year before he was second in the National Day Cup, as well as the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile and has been a great horse both to train and for the syndicate,” said Watson.
“Those same races will be his main targets again and he really deserves a big race win.”
The 1,600m HH Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice Jockey Championship (IFAHR) was clinched with ease by Denmark’s Ina Toverud on AF Yatroq, belonging to UAE Champion Owner, Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda and trained by Ernst Oertel.
“She has ridden that race very well and has kept the horse going all the way to the line. He ran here last week when he hit the front and the jockey said he stopped that time so she has done a marvellous job,” said Oertel, who completed a double for the evening.
Earlier, in the 1,200m Wathba Stallions Cup For Private Owners Only, Oertel had a 1-2-3 with Ibn Harmany Al Zobair under Antonio Fresu winning ahead of stablemates AF Tebyan and AF Mukhifah.
In the 1,600m HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship (IFAHR) final, Belgian jockey, Alice Bertiaux, a teacher by profession, led RB Inferno to a fine win.