RB Burn The Bill becomes first filly to win UAE President’s Cup race in Italy

RB Burn The Bill made history at the Ippodromo Snai San Siro on Sunday — becoming the first filly ever to win the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses in Italy.

In a Group 1 field of ten, she was the only female. She came from behind, ran down the front-runner Lino in the closing metres of the 2,100-metre journey on dirt, and crossed the line to claim a title that will be remembered as one of the defining moments of this race’s nine-year history in Italy.

The victory came at the fifth leg of the 33rd edition’s global calendar, held under the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court — in what was also the first-ever Group 1 Arabian horse race staged at the historic San Siro Racecourse.

Lino set the pace from the opening stride and held the advantage deep into the straight, with the field stretched out behind him on the new San Siro dirt track. But RB Burn The Bill was travelling powerfully throughout under jockey Mickael Forest, and in the final furlong she found another gear entirely — running down the leader with decisive authority and crossing the line in a time of 2:22.1. It was a performance without hesitation and without fear, against a field that included some of the finest Purebred Arabian horses on the European circuit.

The champion filly (by Munjiz out of RB Burn Yourself by Sand Blaster) carries the colours of owner Mohamed Abdulatif Al Hezami, and is trained by Francois Rohaut — one of the most accomplished Arabian horse trainers in Europe and a three-time winner of the Italy leg. The victory adds another chapter to a remarkable story: RB Burn The Bill, bred in the United States, crossed the Atlantic, and on her biggest stage yet produced the performance of her career.

The race was attended by Abdullah Ali Al Subousi, UAE Ambassador to the Italian Republic, and Faisal Al Rahmani, Secretary-General of the Higher Organizing Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, alongside Mattia Cadrobbi, President of the Italian Arabian Horse Federation — in the presence of an elite gathering of owners, breeders, and officials who crowned the winners at the conclusion of a landmark afternoon at San Siro.

With this victory, RB Burn The Bill joins a distinguished roll of champions that has grown alongside the race itself — from Listed status in 2017, to Group 3, Group 2, and now Group 1 in 2026. The list of winners reflects this progression, beginning with Lightning Bolt in 2017, followed by Fazza Al Khalediah in 2018, Akoya in 2019, Jaazmah Athbah in 2020, Hayyan in 2021, Jarif in both 2022 and 2023, Ska de l’Aigle in 2024, HM Alchahine in 2025, and finally RB Burn The Bill in 2026.

Faisal Al Rahmani, Secretary-General of the Higher Organizing Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, stated: “We congratulate the champions of the Italy leg and the distinguished presence it embodied for the Prestigious Cup at one of the most important European tracks, amidst strong participation from elite Purebred Arabian horses. This reflects the prestigious status that the series has achieved globally — thanks to the support and vision of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his leading role in supporting the journey of the Arabian horse and elevating its status worldwide.”

He added: “The Italian leg has delivered technical, organisational, and media gains every year, and its contribution to consolidating the presence of the Purebred Arabian horse on Italian and European tracks is something we take great pride in. What we witnessed today — a filly winning a Group 1 against the finest competition Europe can offer — is a powerful statement of how far this race has come.”