UAE horses dominate El Jadida International Arabian Horse Championship

UAE horses dominated the International Arabian Horse Championship ‘Title Show’ in El Jadida, Morocco, winning 14 of 18 titles at the event held under the patronage of King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The championship, part of the 16th El Jadida Horse Show, featured 178 horses from Morocco, the Middle East and Europe, including 31 UAE horses owned by 22 owners. The Emirates Arabian Horse Society (EAHS) arranged special air transport to ensure the horses’ safety and welfare.

The event was attended by and winners crowned by Dr Habib Marzak, Commissioner General of the El Jadida Horse Show; Mohammed Ahmed Al Harbi, Director-General of the EAHS, along with several officials.

The final championship results saw ‘AJ Marmuqa’ from Ajman Stud win the Yearling Fillies’ gold medal, while Nouf Liwa won second place for owner Abdullah Ahmed Al Mansoori, and the bronze title went to Morocco with ‘Siwar Bouznika’ from the Haras Royal de Bouznika.

The UAE swept all the titles in the Junior Fillies’ championship, as ‘D Thaw’ from Dubai Arabian Stud took the gold medal, followed by ‘AJ Karama’ from Ajman Stud with the silver, while ‘Al Aryam Harbah,’ owned by Sheikh Khalifa Bin Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, secured the bronze medal.

UAE horses continued their domination in the Senior Mares’ championship, with ‘AJ Lima’ from Amara Stud taking the gold title, leaving second place and the silver to ‘BW Deema’ owned by Ali Salem Al Kaabi, while the bronze went to ‘Kawthar Al Sayed’ from Liwa Stud.

‘D Mazyoon’ from Dubai Stud claimed the Yearling Colts’ gold title, while the silver went to ‘Khaldoun Al Bidayer’ owned by Mathieu Miloux (France). Third place and the bronze medal were taken by ‘Al Aryam Al Rwais’ owned by Sheikh Yass Bin Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

‘AJ Rabdan’ from Ajman Stud won the gold title in the Junior Colts’ championship, with ‘Sinmar Al Bahya’ from Al Haybah Arabian Stud taking the silver, while the bronze medal went to ‘S U Sattam’ owned by Hamad Mohamed Saif Al Hebsi.

‘EKS Farraj’ from the Haras Royal de Bouznika won the Senior Stallions’ gold title, while ‘D Sharar’ from Dubai Stud took home the silver, and the bronze medal went to ‘Lazeez Al Shahania’ owned by Becuwe Gilberte (France).

Pericles ticks all the right Epsom boxes: Four weeks between runs, the prediction of a good racing surface and an affinity with the 1,600m course at Royal Randwick signal another strong performance from Pericles in Saturday’s G1 Epsom Handicap.

A brilliant winner of the G2 Tramway Stakes at his first run for the Bjorn Baker stable on 6 September at Randwick, the Godolphin-owned galloper gets another chance to notch a victory at the highest level.

A three-time G2 winner, with more than $5.6 million in prize money, Pericles has drawn perfectly in barrier five and is a three-time winner with two placings from six second-up starts.

The six-year-old appreciates a gap between his runs and has finished less than a length behind the winner of the past two G1 Doncaster Miles – widely regarded as the toughest 1,600m handicap in Australia.

Assistant trainer Luke Hilton said Baker couldn’t be happier with Pericles’ Epsom preparations.

“Autumn Glow is really hard to beat, but he (Pericles) has done nothing but improve since the Tramway,” Hilton said.

“We are going into this race confident he is going to run as well as he can.”

While Pericles will concede weight to all but one of his Epsom rivals, the gelding worked “brilliantly” on Tuesday and Josh Parr again has the mount.

“He’s obviously got good, natural early speed and is able to put himself into a race,” Hilton said.

“From an awkward gate in the Tramway (12), he was able to overcome that with natural speed.

“From a lovely gate now, he looks to get a really good run and there might be a great tempo.”

Fellow Warwick Farm trainer Gary Portelli will saddle-up his first Black-Type runner for Godolphin when Handloom contests the G3 Gimcrack Stakes over 1,000m for two-year-old fillies.

The Exceed And Excel youngster ran second in a recent Kensington trial, but has drawn the outside barrier with Ben Thompson aboard.

The Ciaron Maher-trained Barbarossa and Attica, for Joe Pride, will clash in the Listed Dulcify Stakes over 1,600m.

Barbarossa (Ethan Brown) needs to lift and Attica (Adam Hyeronimus) will be having only his third start.

A Warwick Farm maiden winner on 3 September, the well-bred Attica finished second at Kembla two weeks ago when a hot favourite and faces a big rise in class.

“He’s been floating in the two starts he’s had, he got away with one of them,” Pride said.

“His race craft let him down the other day in the small field.