Altariq wins Ladies Endurance Cup

abu dhabi — In a terrific late surge, Argentina’s Martina Spelanzon riding Altariq scored a fantastic victory for M7 Endurance Stables in the 100-km HH Sheikha Fatma bint Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Ladies Endurance Cup ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi on Friday.

The 100-km ride was organised by the HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and run in four loops of 40kms, 25kms, 19kms and 16kms.

The UAE’s Afra Al Suwaidi on MM Bufa looked to be heading smoothly after she was leading in the second and third stages.

However going into the final loop of 16kms, it was Spelanzon on the 8-year-old bay gelding Altariq, who set the pace and moved from fourth place to the lead and finally won in a time of 3 hours 21 minutes and 02 seconds.

She finished 18 seconds ahead of Italian Guilia Vigevani on Tudo Du Cambou while the UAE’s Maitha Alkaabi on Djarena finished third a further seven seconds later. Afra had to settle for 6th place.

It was a great win for the M7 Endurance Stables owned by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Earlier in the morning 123 lady riders from the UAE and other countries around the world took part in the annual ride held under the directives of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

The top three lady riders won a car each while those who finished between 4th and 10th also received cash awards.