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Raqiyah calls the shots at St. Cloud in Paris
French-trained Raqiyah did not disappoint her fans at St Cloud, Race Course in Paris on Sunday and won The President of the UAE Cup for Arabian horses. The four-year-old mare, ridden by Olivier Peslier and trained by Alvin De Mieulle won the 2,400 meter race on turf at Sunday’s event which had a classy field of seven runners. Raqiyah is owned by Qatar Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani. It was a day of double joy for Sheikh Abdullah as another horse owned by him Damis clinched the third place in the event. Damis was partnered by David Bouland. The President Of The UAE - Coupe d’Europe des Chevaux Arabes, was organized by the Emirates Equestrian Federation. The race was held on a day which also featured the prestigious Grand Prix de St-Cloud (G1) for Thoroughbreds, an important day on French racing calendar. Raqiyah, who was the favourite to win the horse on this day, had also grabbed the second place at the Irish Guinness at Curragh Racecourse in May this year. At St Cloud Racecourse, it was a tough neck-to-neck competition between Raqiyah and the second placed Nayef Al Khalidiah which was ridden by Christophe-Patrice Lemaire for the Al Khalidiah Stables. Eventually Raqiyah won by a neck in the race which offered prize money of Euros 50,000. Nayef is trained by JF Bernard. Despite the warm and sultry weather, a modest crowd had turned out to watch the Arabians run to glory at the St. Cloud Racecourse which is situated on the Western side of Paris and was established in 2001. His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Emirates Equestrian Federation, attended the races and distributed the trophies for the winners. Also present with him at the ceremony were Mohammed Meer Al Raaehsi, UAE Ambassador to France, Taleb Dhaher Al Muhairi, Secretary General, Emirates Equestrian Federation , Jaber Al Suwaidi, General Manager, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court and Ahmed Al Rumaithi and Reem Al Shemari, members of the Arabian Racing Committee. On the occasion, Dr. Sheikh Sultan emphasized the importance of the UAE President Cup which exclusively features the Pure-bred Arabian horses. He said he was overwhelmed by the competitive spirit of the Arabian horses in Europe and added that after a thorough analysis and evaluation, a decision will be taken on the inclusion of several more countries to host the race series. Dr. Sultan said he was impressed by the Arabian horse breeders in Europe in general and France and the United Kingdom in particular for their strong commitment towards boosting this breed of horses. He also mentioned that the US and Germany too were evincing keen interest in this breed which is a good sign for the promotion of this purest of breeds. He mentioned that UAE was one of the top countries in the world involved in breeding the Purebred Arabians. He said the event also spread awareness about the country’s deep-rooted history and culture The UAE Ambassador to France Meer Al Raaehsi mentioned that the success of the Pure-bred racing in Europe was mainly due to the strong support from the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince His Excellency General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa al Nahyan. He took the opportunity to particularly thank Dr Sheikh Sultan without whose backing, it would not have been possible to stage such races for Pure-bred Arabians in Europe. Taleb Dhaher Al Muhairi, delighted by the success of the second leg of racing after Curragh, said that it was significant to note that France had hosted the first-ever President of the UAE Cup race when the series was launched in 1994. He thanked the support from the French organisations for making the event a huge success at St Cloud and hoped the event will be an annual affair and will help in further strengthening the bond between the two countries. The day also featured two other races for Thoroughbred horses - Abu Dhabi Prix Malleret (Group 2) and the Etihad Airways Handicap. Never Forget won the Abu Dhabi Prix Malleret followed by Shamanova and Lady’s Purse in second and third places respectively. Gentoot won the Prix Etihad Airways Handicap. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority had erected a hospitality tent which featured the traditional handicraft of the country and attracted a good number of visitors. The UAE President Cup Series will be held next in Moscow on July 4 followed by Newmarket on July 7.
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