Dubai: The HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival signals the return of big-time Purebred Arabian racing to California’s Los Alamitos racetrack when it host the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup on Saturday.
Run over 1,600-metre, the $47,000 (Dh172,600) contest features top horses like MS Dixie who set a new track record for six furlongs earlier this month at the track which is the original home of Arabian racing in California. On that occasion she clocked an impressive 1:16.26s to eclipse the twenty-year record set by Alanudd (Unchainedd Melody) on October 7, 1993.
Trained by Scott Powell, the six-year-old grey will take on two classy Group 1 champions in Valiant Boy SBFAR and RB Champagne Taste.
In the last two Group 1 races held here in the US this season, Valiant Boy SBFAR defeated RB Champagne Taste on both occasions in well-contested event.
The 10-horse field also includes TM Maddamee, Lil Rich Girl, TA Dance Withthe Star, In X Hess, Ayers, By Golly Its Hot and RB Burn Baby Burn.
Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the Shaikh Mansour Festival and IFAHR Chairman of Ladies Racing Committee said: “The quality field in the very first running of the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup here in Los Alamitos is a great start for the HH Shaikh Mansour Festival.
“Los Alamitos will be the third race in the Triple Jewel race series in 2015 for Purebred Arabian horses in the US.”
“This Triple Jewel will offer a total of $150,000 bonus and will comprise of races in Houston, Texas [Amethyst], Pleasanton, California [Emerald Green], and here in Los Alamitos [Diamond].
“Horses will gain points based on their finishing position in each of the three races and the one with most points will collect the bonus,” she explained.
Aref Alawani, Secretary General of Abu Dhabi Sports Council added: “This is another prestigious race which puts both Purebred Arabian horses as well as Abu Dhabi in the spotlight. We fully support this new race in California.”
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Surour Al Sharqi, Invest AD’s Vice President — Relationship Management said: “As sponsors we are very delighted with this latest addition to the long list of prestigious races that the HH Shaikh Mansour Festival stages all over the globe.”
The HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA), IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society (EAHS).
It is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare (GAYSW) with Arabtec Holding PJSC as the Official Partner and Emirates airline as the official carriers.
It is also sponsored by Invest AD, Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Al Rashid Investment, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2014, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah, Abu Dhabi Sports Channel and the Racing Post.