Habib Al Kutub stars in UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses in Syria

Habib Al Kutub was crowned champion of the 16th leg of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, held on Friday at Latakia Racecourse in Syria.

The event marked the series’ first appearance on Syrian soil as part of the 33rd edition of the prestigious cup.

The cup races are staged with the support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, with the aim of developing the Arabian horse racing industry, supporting owners and breeders, encouraging them to acquire and breed the Arabian horse, and elevating its standing in countries around the world.

Habib Al Kutub (by Tahoun Ugarit out of Anoud Al Safi), carrying the colours of Al Kutub Stables, trained by Fahd Bakour and ridden by Khaldoun Hammoud, delivered a powerful performance that carried him to the title of the race, run over 2,000 metres and open to Purebred Arabian horses aged four years and above.

The race produced a strong start and a closely fought contest, with Sanad Al Aref and Zain Al Waad leading the way through the early stages, before Habib Al Kutub advanced steadily towards the front group and entered contention for the lead as the field approached the final turn.

Habib Al Kutub asserted his superiority on entering the home straight, surging forward to seize the lead from his rivals before extending his advantage clearly in the closing metres, crossing the line first to write his name into the record as the first champion of the Prestigious Cup at Latakia Racecourse.

The champion covered the race distance in a time of 2:22.00.

Mohib Al Aref finished in second place, Baghdad Al Shabak came home third and Fahd Al Kour finished fourth, while Sanad Al Aref completed the first five home.

The Syrian leg featured 16 runners drawn from the most prominent Arabian horses in local racing, amid strong competitive standards that reflected the value of the cup’s first appearance in Syria and the interest the leg attracted among owners and studs.

The leg was staged within the UAE–Syrian Festival, which ran across Friday and Saturday at Latakia Racecourse and featured 15 races for Purebred Arabian horses, with 10 races on the first day and five on the second, drawing 250 horses in total.

The programme provides a significant competitive platform in support of Purebred Arabian horse racing and strengthens the presence of owners and studs in Syria.

The race and the crowning of winners were attended by Hamad Rashid Al Habsi, Ambassador of the UAE to the Syrian, Ahmed Ali Mustafa, Governor of Latakia, Zaid Abu Zaid, President of the Syrian Arab Equestrian Federation, Dr Jamil Aqrin, President of the Syrian Arabian Horse Association, and Saeed Al Muhairi, representative of the Higher Organizing Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses.

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 considerable success achieved by the Syrian leg in the Prestigious Cup’s first appearance at Latakia Racecourse, and of the wide participation and distinguished competitive standards it delivered, reflecting the growing interest in Purebred Arabian horse racing and confirming the importance of adding Syria to the legs of the series’.

He added: ”The UAE–Syrian Festival represents an important platform for supporting owners and studs and providing further opportunities to participate and compete. It also contributes to strengthening the presence of the Arabian horse and opening new horizons for its racing in Syria, consistent with the mission and goals of the prestigious cup.”