Ziyadd wins Listed Zayed Cup at Capanelle Race Course

Ziyadd, owned by HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs ran into contention for this year's Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup European Triple Crown while reigning HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Champion Astrid Wullschleger took her first step towards defence of that title she won in 2015.

On Sunday, May 29 at the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival's 'Emirates Day meeting' of three top Purebred Arabian horse races, Ziyadd under PierantonioConvertino won the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Listed) race at the Capanelle race course in  Rome.

The 4-year-old Bibi de Carrere colt out of Mizzna was the pre-race favourite and the Antoine Watrigant-trained runner was superb as he demolished the field of 9 challengers to win the 2400-metre race. Ziyadd had finished fourth to Muraaqib in the first leg of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup European Triple Crown held in Toulouse and with Sunday's win leads the pack going into the final leg which will be held in Duindigt, The Netherlands on June 26, 2016.

Al Janoob under Anna Pilroth did all the running but ran out of steam with about two furlongs to go as Ziyadd charged home. Lares De Pine, owned by the UAE's Taleb bin Dhaheri finished third behind Al Janoob in the Euros 35,000 Listed race.

In the Euros 25,000 HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship race, 2015 world champion Astrid Wullschleger of Switzerland scored a smart win on Mirko and ensured she booked a spot in the final of this year's Ladies Championship which will be held in November in Abu Dhabi.

After Turriga under South Korea's Lee Keumjoo led the field for most of the 1800-metre distance, Mirko under Wullschleger and Monnalisa under home favourite Jessica Marcialis took over. But after a brief battle it was Mirko that romped home much to the disappointment of the Italians rooting for Monnalisa.

Australian Cecily Eaton on Tabasco finished third in the 10-horse race.If Keumjoo failed in her effort to make it a start-to-finish affair in the Ladies Championship race, her countryman JeongJeonghee did just that earlier in the day to win the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race.

Riding the unbeaten Urge De Gallura, Jeonghee made every post a winning one in the Euros 30,000 race run over 1600-metres. The 24-year-old Jeonghee, who also has a win in seven starts in Australia, finished way ahead of Italian Gabriele Cannarella on Triade while Moroccan Omar Lakjal on Urugano Di Chia was third.

"I have heard so much about Abu Dhabi through our Korean lady jockey who qualified for the final last year and I am so excited that I will experience that international feel this year. My trainer just asked me to trust in the horse and I did just third, the horse obliging in great fashion," the Korean winner said.

The UAE Ambassador to Italy, HE Saqr Nasser Al Raisi along with many other UAE envoys and top racing officials who were here for the WAHRC, attended the races and gave away the trophies to the winners of the three races along with Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of Int'l Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) and Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR).

"This was a great debut for the Festival in Italy and we hope that it will trigger more interest in Purebred Arabians here," MsSawaya said.

"We congratulate HH Sheikh Mansoor on the victory of Ziyadd and this horse has the chance to become the new Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup European Triple Crown Winner. For the last four years it was Ameretto that had been winning the European Triple Crown and this year we are likely to have a new champion," she said.

Later the chief guests also inaugurated a photo exhibition by Morhaf El Assaf of the Festival's events.