Covering the two UAE President Cup series for Arabian racehorses in the UK in 2026 at Newbury and Doncaster.
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T H E A R A B I A N
R A C E H O R S E UAE President Cup UK Arabian Derby Preview
Newbury Review
D E B O R A H B U R T
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R A C E H O R S E A u t u m n
UAE President Cup UK Arabian Derby Race Preview
UAE President Cup UK Arabian Derby Past Winners
Welcome to the autumn edition of The Arabian Racehorse previewing Europe s most valuable race for four year old Arabians Year on year Arabian racing continues to grow around the world and with the increase in prize money for these Group 1PA events including those at the HH The Amir Sword the Saudi Cup the Dubai World Cup and the Arc de Triomphe meetings along with the highly successful UAE President Cup series international interest in these races continues to grow with it
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Al Sharid
This year the Arabian Racing Organisation welcomed a new trainer to its books new that is to the Arabian breed but one with many years experience of racing and training Taking on one and then another Arabian he has rediscovered his enthusiasm for the sport and has already tasted top level competition He heads for some more at Doncaster this weekend with the intention of carrying the dream forwards to France in the autumn
Growing up in Cheshire David Griffiths hunted and show jumped on ponies then with dreams of becoming a jockey completed the 12 week course at the British Racing School in Newmarket and went to one of the best yards for producing apprentices Kingsclere Stables in Berkshire then home to Ian Balding The yard continues to nurture young jockeys to this day though now under the tutelage of his son Andrew with one of the yard most famous recent proteges being Oisin Murphy
Griffith was there during the reign of sprint royalty the flying filly Lochsong as well as being lucky enough to ride a winner for actual royalty in the late Queen Elizabeth Whilst there he rode around 60 winners for his mentor and then moved to Reg Hollinshead for two years After losing his apprentice s claim he then returned South to ride out for Balding and also Paul Cole trainer of the Derby winner Generous When his weight crept up he had a small stint over hurdles which was enough of an incentive to shed the pounds
Unfortunately I broke my neck C2 the hangman s th break on October 6 2000 when I took a fall from one of Paul Cole s horses I had time off to recover but they wouldn t let me race ride again so I had a small stint with David Barron as assistant and work rider there The Injured Jockeys Fund were brilliant throughout I couldn t praise them enough they were amazing and still keep in contact with me now
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Taking a slight change of direction he moved into teaching taking a job as an instructor at the Northern Racing College in Doncaster teaching through the levels from 15 year old foundation students up to apprentice jockeys He met his wife and found common ground with his father in law Gary as they had both harboured a desire to train With full family support they set up their training yard in Bawtry in 2009 with just two horses
At one point we had got up to about 30 and it ended up that we seemed good with sprinters mostly five furlong horses I don t know why really it just happened that way We ve got a four and half furlong Fibresand gallop which is round and I swear by it We don t do fast work there we ll take them to Southwell racecourse for that or to Beverley we used to take Take Cover two time Group 2 King George Stakes winner there for a change of scenery
We use our canter because you can t gallop on it for very steady work to build them up so this horse Al Sharid and even a genuine thoroughbred Group 2 sprinter like Take Cover would canter two miles a day I always say the quarters are where the speed it that s the engine and it has definitely worked for us our other sprinters like Ornate won the Dash at Epsom and Duke Of Firenze won a Dash and was fourth in the Abbaye at Longchamp
Without wishing to blame Covid although they had winners after that their big horses retired or went elsewhere and the numbers were down to five He muses that he should have retired a year earlier but handing in his licence in 2024 he went back to teaching at the Racing College
I m doing the same sort of thing as before The 14 16 year old programme which is every Wednesday takes kids from school and Kierra my daughter is doing it It s a great programme and I m also involved with supporting trainer s mental health quite a lot actually It s through the National Trainers Federation and is called the Trainers Support Network I m the representative for the Midlands I think I can relate to it quite well because I was a trainer and I ve been through some big challenges like losing an owner after a significant investment in the yard
We go out as often as we can and we feel it s needed We go racing we go to the sales we can go to visit someone we re available in person or just being on the end of a phone we re neutral just someone to talk to It s a service that s been needed the jockeys have the Professional Jockeys Association and the Injured Jockeys Fund our staff have Racing Welfare but until recently there s been nothing for trainers
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Al Sharid FR and John Egan go to post at Goodwood
Having returned to teaching although he d lost the love of training thoroughbreds he still missed having something to cheer home Having spoken to ARO S Genny Haynes she sourced him several horses to consider and Al Sharid an Al Mouwaffak gelding out of the Amer mare Olympia from the family of Damis bred by Al Shaqab was his pick
He was unraced but well bred so there s always the chance he might have slipped through the net as it were He d had a good education with Jean de Mieulle and is a good ride though he s a bit too strong for my daughter at the moment He works on his own and he s happy that way
When he arrived I had no experience with the breed but I thought he worked well we put cheek pieces on for his first start I thought he ran well up to the bend at Wolverhampton and then he was very green in the closing stages He was better when winning at Bath and then at Doncaster against the horse that beat him at Wolverhampton he improved again for another win We won again at Doncaster stepping up to a mile and a quarter the Derby distance he was eight lengths clear and then only beat the second half a length he idled in front
Speaking on the morning of the Qatar International Stakes Griffiths says It s massive this race at Goodwood the money s brilliant The Doncaster race in September is ideal as its four year olds only and he s a dual course winner today we re against older horses He s still improving there should be more to come
He ll run today then it s about six weeks to Doncaster John Egan will ride him again we ve known him for years he s ridden us a good few winners when I was training before He couldn t ride Al Sharid on his debut but he rode him at Bath He was in the first that day and kindly hung around for us as our race was last on the card I ve never had that many phone calls from a jockey afterwards John will be on the phone every two days he likes him they get on great
At Goodwood having raced in midfield Al Sharid wasn t able to quicken but still kept on admirably to pick sixth placed prize money For a horse that was bought cheaply privately having been unsold at the Auctav sale in November he s picked up a total of over 22 000 in prize money to date
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When asked the inevitable question about whether he finds training Arabians different to thoroughbreds Griffiths is surprisingly warm and direct
No difference between them He s on the same feed the only slight difference to the thoroughbreds is instead of having one day off a week the Arabians have two We also ride in the woods it s a change of scenery for both of us
I think they re kinder animals they re a pleasure to be around when I was training thoroughbreds I didn t have as much involvement as I have with him I d didn t lead up for example he s a bit too strong for Kierra and I ride him every day I think they know you I ve got that thing back that I lost when I was training before Arabians have got me back into enjoying it I ve genuinely got back the love for the sport I love training these guys hopefully we can get more Arabians not just with me but with other trainers too It s easy to plan a campaign with just 18 races across the season The smaller programme is very family friendly it s been great to enjoy our days racing as a family It started as a hobby but it s more of a project now
Speaking this week ahead of the Derby on Saturday Griffiths was delighted with Al Sharid s preparation saying He had two weeks break after Goodwood as he d had three runs quite quickly He s come back lovely he s put on a bit of weight too which is good and I think he s looks better than he did before Goodwood He went to Southwell last week with a visor on and worked very well I think he s in a good place
Regardless of the result providing he comes out of Doncaster well the next goal is to head to France for the Qatar Arabian World Cup on 4 October He s realistic about Al Sharid s chances there but doesn t let that dent his ambition he s happy to hit the crossbar
I always said with the thoroughbreds if you reach for the stars you might get as close as the clouds sometimes
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Al Sharid FR and John Egan winning at Bath in May
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UAE President Cup Series Group 3PA Newbury UK
The UAE President s Cup is the world s oldest Purebred Arabian Classic series starting in 1994
Envisioned by the late UAE founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan the aim was to highlight the importance of purebred Arabian horses and to elevate their status while celebrating the heritage of the Emirates on a global scale Today the prestigious cup has become one of the most important and historic classic race series in the world attracting the elite horses of all Arabian racing nations It was fitting that this year when the series increased its support of UK Arabian racing that in addition to sponsoring the Derby at Doncaster they saw fit to sponsor a race exclusively for three year olds which was originally held on the Dubai Arabian International Races card that had been supported by another Arabian racing visionary the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum
Over the past 32 years the series has made a notable international impact highlighting the UAE s rich equestrian legacy and its pivotal role in preserving the journey of the Arabian horse The series is supported and guided by His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan UAE Vice President Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Presidential Court reflecting his commitment to developing the Arabian horse racing industry and supporting Arabian horse owners and breeders worldwide This support underscores the UAE s plans to maintain the stature of Arabian horses and enhance their global presence
Currently spanning 18 countries outside of the Emirates the races are held at some of the most historic tracks around the world Most are on high profile cards such as the opening race in Europe run on the same card as the Emirates Poule d Esssai des Poulains and the Pouliches in May at ParisLongchamp In 2024 the Emirates edition HH The President Cup was moved to its new slot in the ERA racing calendar in December with the prize money increased to AED 8 million concluding the global series with an eye watering prize This year s race will be run at Abu Dhabi on 12 December
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Securing support to reintroduce a Group race for three year olds in the UK Genny Haynes ARO Chief Executive Officer spoke enthusiastically after the race which had been won by Eljas Du Bienn We were thrilled to bring Arabian Group racing back to Newbury through the generosity and support of the UAE President Cup Series This race for our top juveniles was originally run here over seven furlongs as part of Dubai International Arabian Races with many winners making the grade at the highest level We congratulate Hamed Khadim Butti Alhamid his family and all their connections for their win today with Eljas Du Bienn who we hope will go on to further success
The race was increased to a mile and received a significant boost to its prize fund which was now 150 000 making it the most valuable race exclusively for three year olds in Europe Both the organising committee and the winning owner paid tribute to the race s past history with Faisal Al Rahmani General Secretary of the Higher Organizing Committee for the UAE President s Cup Series commenting We re very happy to be back at Newbury the motherland of Arabian racing in the UK thanks to the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum We thank Genny Haynes and everyone at ARO for their support today
Winning owner Hamed Khadim Butti Alhamid was clearly delighted to be part of this historic connection the horses race in his colours but it is very much a family concern with his son Khalifa explaining more fully We re very proud to be present in today s race The President s Cup is a very important race for us and Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan s continued support for Arabians and for this series really made it possible for us to be here today It s a very proud moment for us it was just a win to be here but to win the race as well that was the cherry on top
We have seven horses in training four with Elizabeth Bernard trainer of Eljas Du Bienn the rest with Xavier Thomes Demeulte trainer of the second At the beginning of the season we had the least expectations for Eljas Du Bienn we saw him in training and though he was a very lovely horse we didn t expect this but he has surprised us He won first time out and then he has come up against a very good champion in Alkrar and was second and then third to him but he has come good again today for us
Faisal Al Rahmani presenting the trophy to Hamed Khadim Butti Alhamid at Newbury
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Manark FR winning at Newbury in 2012
Eljas Du Bienn was the second Italian bred to score in the last twenty running s of the race allowing for the five year absence since the last DIAR in 2019 the first being Urge Di Gallura in 2016 whose presence was due in part to the generous travel incentives that the Sheikh Hamdan had established to encourage overseas participation
In 2012 owing to Shiekh Hamdan s support and the position of Ramadan in the calendar the raceday was moved outside of its traditional late July slot That it now took place in September was most fortuitous for the quality of the field with some of the best three year olds of that generation lining up for a vintage edition
Manark later to win the Dubai Kahayla Classic came home in front of Samima winner of the Juments at Longchamp the following year Al Anga was in third who two years later would go on to be second in the HH The Amir Sword Al Atique was sixth he would win the 2014 Harwood International at Doncaster in the slot now occupied by the UK Arabian Derby Mid division in seventh was one of the best mares of her time Djainka Des Forges despite a poor finishing position at Newbury she came out the following month to win the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches and would go on to win two Group 1PA Hatta International Stakes at Newbury now run in La Teste as the Liwa Oasis the 2014 Qatar Arabian World Cup and be second drawn 16 of 16 in the 2014 Dubai Kahayla Classic and then fourth in 2015 to old adversary Manark
The last winner of the DIAR edition when it was still run over seven furlongs was Methgal in 2019 He had one of the best recent pedigrees being by TM Fred Texas out of Theeba a sister to Ebraz Mared Al Sahra and Mu azzaz he then went on to win two Qatar International Cups a Group 1PA contest held over a mile as part of the HH The Amir Sword Festival
Considering the race s welcome restoration to UK Arabian racing Haynes commented further Newbury is of historic importance to both UK Arabian racing and Arabian racing globally This is the only black type race we have for exclusively for three year olds and it is an important re introduction of a race of this status to our calendar
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UAE President Cup UK Arabian Derby Group 1PA
Romeo AT FR just beaten a nose by Laffan FR far side at Saint Cloud in October
The UK Arabian Derby sponsored since 2016 by the UAE President Cup Series regularly produces a top class winner that goes on to feature in the leading Group races for Arabians around the world in subsequent years Since 2016 every winner of the French equivalent the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pur Sang Arabes de 4 Ans run at Chantilly in early June on the Prix de Diane card has gone on to win at Doncaster no horse has reversed the form to date In this year s edition Sab aan Al Shahania came from off the pace to win by the narrowest of margins 0 00 01 on official timings from Romeo AT who had set the fractions throughout until his defeat right on the line
Sab aan Al Shahania bred in the purple by Al Shahania Stud and racing in the colours of HH Sheikh Iman bint Mohammed Al Thani is a full brother to their Group 1PA winners Assy and Mon nia being by the great Amer out of Margouia a Haras de Mandore bred mare Assy the first Qatari foaled winner of the HH Amir Sword in 2014 was exclusively campaigned in Qatar whilst Mon nia winner of the Sword in 2021 only had four starts in France with the remaining 13 in Qatar Though she did win on easier turf on debut and at La Teste two years later beating Lady Princess on that ones final start it is likely that the family are not as effective with cut Like his sister Mon nia he also won on easy ground on his debut but his Derby win at Chantilly was on good 3 2 on the penotrometer and he has been beaten on all other outings when there has been cut His most recent race at Deauville in the Doha Cup Prix Manganate was on good but that was his first start against older horses Held up off the pace in the rear alongside subsequent winner HM Alchahine he didn t pick up when asked by regular pilot Stephane Pasquier and was allowed to coast home in sixth beaten nearly 12 lengths He was also tried in cheekpieces on that occasion which have been left off today
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It is expected that trainer Francois Rohaut will declare him with Pasquier on board again but on the basis of the Deauville run Sab aan Al Shahania will need to improve again to confirm the French Derby form back in his own age group
Derby second Romeo AT and the remaining French challenger Laffan have more in common than just their sire AF Al Buraq They are uniquely linked to that champion of the Arabian racehorse the Late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum as bred by him they were both sold in utero at the Auctav bloodstock dispersal sale following his passing
Despite Romeo AT having a higher rating at the time of entry for this race 118 as opposed to 116 on the three occasions they have met all in Group 1PA company over a mile and a quarter Laffan has come out on top At three years in the Al Rayyan Cup Prix Kesberoy and the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains there was a short head and a nose between them This year they didn t cross swords until August in the Doha Cup Prix Manganate and though Romeo AT had the benefit of a win against older horses in May and his near miss in the Derby Laffan finished three lengths ahead Laffan came into the race after break following a too bad to be true thirteenth in the HH The Amir Silver Sword for four year olds in February in Doha But for the late supplementation of HM Alchahine Laffan would have been a clear winner of the Deauville race and of a third Group 1PA
Laffan owned by Al Wasmiyah Racing is also trained by Rohaut who trained his dam Ajaayib to win twice at a minor level for Sheikh Hamdan He was first successful in this race with Al Shaqab Racing s Luwsail in 2024 At the time of writing Maxime Guyon is expected to ride it will be his first in this race Wathnan Racing s Romeo AT bids for a first win in the contest for trainer Xavier Thomas Demeulte with Tom Marquand expected to ride His best finishing position was last year when third on Shaihaan
Also of note is that Romeo AT will also be sporting a hood for the first time having set the fractions at Chantilly under James Doyle he was very free early on at Deauville under Christophe Soumillon so this may represent a change of tactics
Sab aan Al Shahania FR at Saint Cloud
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Best of the likely UK runners is Al Sharid owned and trained locally by David Griffiths though bred by Al Shaqab who sold him as an unraced but broken in three year old last autumn This has been the gelding s target all year and he has progressed with every race A course and distance winner in June beating a 104 rated black type winner from the Emirates he won here again the following month over a mile and was a very respectable sixth in the Qatar International Stakes also over a mile to multiple top level winner RB Kingmaker at Goodwood Currently running off a mark of 105 he has formed a great partnership with John Egan and though he needs to find more than 10lb should any of the French challengers falter he is a live outsider for a place
Newmarket based Phil Collington has had numerous Derby runners at Town Moor and this year may send two Ash jaa bred by his wife Sheila and now racing in the colours of one of his principal owners Athbah Racing He s finished third for Athbah before with Thakeera Al Shahania in 2023 ridden by Joanna Mason and trained this one s half brother Dossar
Athbah to be fifth in 2016 Ash jaa shaped with promise when a clear winner over this trip on the Polytrack at Lingfield in June but was a beaten odds on favourite for Dougie Costello stepped up a furlong on the Tapeta at Southwell last month With Costello expected to ride again he s got much more to find than Al Sharid
Also needing to improve is his other possible runner Zayin Sentinel owned by Red Dragon Racing Club This gelding has made steady progress throughout the season was only beaten half a length over a mile at Wolverhampton having been two lengths third on his debut at this trip when debuting in cheekpieces Bred by Zayin Arabians he is by Sivit Al Maury a prolific winner for Sheikh Hamdan around a mile whilst his dam Samauring Zayin won a couple of staying handicaps With prize money down to sixth place he will give his syndicate of sporting owners a fun day out and has shown he should be capable of winning though not at this level Expected to be ridden by former ARO leading lady rider Joanna Mason
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HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani
HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani
X Thomas Demeaulte FR T O Shea
Rodess Du Loup FR Khalifa bin Hamad Al Attiyah
T H E A R A B I A N R A C E H O R S E
Globally there are 7 Group 1 Purebred Arabian PA races worth 1million or more
The Qatar International Stakes Qatar Goodwood Festival Group 1PA with a prize fund of 400 000 is the most valuable Arabian races over 1 mile in Europe
In the majority of countries Arabians first race at 3 years old The UK has the richest 3 years old only race in Europe the UAE President Cup Series Group 3PA with a total prize fund of 150 000
An Arabians Classic year is as a 4 year old The UAE President Cup UK Arabian Derby
St Leger Racing Festival Group 1PA has a prize fund of 250 000 and is the most valuable 4 year old only race in Europe
Minimum UK race value 6 000 handicaps up to 10 000 PA Pattern races from 15 000 to 400 000
Since January 2021 BHA licensed thoroughbred trainers may also train Arabians Existing Thoroughbred owners may also own Arabians through sole ownership partnerships syndicates and racing clubs and are also eligible for ROA membership
The Original Racehorse Think Differently aroracing1 www aroracing couk info aroracing couk
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