Joe Star wins UAE President’s Cup race for Purebred Arabian Horses in Netherlands

Joe Star was crowned champion of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses at its seventh leg in the Netherlands, held on Sunday at the Duindigt Turf Racecourse in The Hague, Netherlands, within the calendar of the 33rd edition of this distinguished global series.

The Prestigious Cup continued its distinguished run of success and its strong presence at European racecourses, in keeping with the global standing of an event held under the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court. Sheikh Mansour’s commitment to elevating the standing of the Purebred Arabian horse across the world, and to supporting plans for its acquisition and breeding, continues to encourage owners and breeders to deepen their engagement with the breed and to preserve its authentic journey.

Joe Star (by Al Mourtajez out of Guest del Falot), owned by Mohamed Abdullah Abdul Rahman, trained by Elisabeth Bernard Jean-Francois and ridden by Anthony Crastus, extended a successful season with a powerful performance, settling the Dutch contest in the closing metres of the race, covering the 2,150 metres in a time of 2:15.2.

The Netherlands title in Group 3 adds to a distinguished record that now stands at six wins and 12 placed finishes from 31 starts, with a rating of 117 on turf. It is a body of form that marks him out as one of the most durable and consistent Purebred Arabians competing in Europe.

The race was run over 2,150 metres on turf in the Group 3 category, open to Purebred Arabian horses aged four years and above, with 11 runners representing elite studs from the Netherlands and across the European continent. Competition was fierce and the technical standard high, sustained all the way to the finish line.

With this victory, Joe Star added his name to the prestigious roll of champions of the Netherlands leg of the Prestigious Cup, succeeding Jalmar (2017), Lightning Bolt (2018), Khair Al Sham (2019), Jarif (2021 and 2022), Messi (2023), Farida P (2024), and Afjan (2025).

The race and the crowning ceremony were attended by Amira Obaid Al Hefeiti, UAE Ambassador to the Netherlands, and Faisal Al Rahmani, Secretary-General of the Higher Organizing Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, alongside owners, trainers, jockeys and representatives of the organising bodies.

Musalam Salem Al Amri, Member of the Higher Organizing Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, said: ‘We are proud of the distinguished successes and the wide resonance achieved by the seventh leg in the Netherlands, and of the strong technical and competitive standard the race delivered with the participation of elite studs.

“This reflects the prestigious global standing the Prestigious Cup has attained and the considerable value it holds for owners and breeders in the Netherlands and across the European continent’.

He added: ‘The continued success of the Prestigious Cup series is the fruit of the substantial support and considered vision of Sheikh Mansour, and of his sustained commitment to developing the Arabian horse racing industry at racecourses around the world, supporting owners and breeders and encouraging them to acquire and breed Arabian horses and to preserve their heritage and authentic journey’.

He continued: ‘We are pleased with the strong competition and distinguished technical standards the Netherlands leg produced. We congratulate the winners of this title, commend the participation of elite owners, trainers and jockeys, and extend our thanks to the UAE Embassy in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the management of Duindigt Racecourse and all parties that contributed to the success of this important leg.”