Aoun eyes second success in Sheikh Zayed Cup series
Os tend: the wellington race course in the Belgian city of Ostend will on Monday, play host to three races under the umbrella of the Sheikh Man so orb inzay ed al na hy an global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.
The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup Group 3 race with a prize fund of Euros 35,000 will be run over 1800 metres and has attracted eight runners while the Festival’s Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race will see 10 entries vying for a slice of the Euros 20,000 on offer.
The Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony championship race has nine young jockeys in the fray.
Aoun, a Mahabb colt owned by Yas Horse Racing Management- the horse racing arm of Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy PM of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs- starts as favourite in the Group 3 Sheikh Zayed Cup.
The Antoine De Watriganttrained Aoun has won the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup (Listed) race at the Marrakesh race course in Morocco earlier in April.
Other runners in this 1800metre race are Lightning Bolt, Lightfleet, Furry, Lou Rayyal, Rijm, Jamas D.A and Mirabella.
In the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race Dynamites, Storm Trouper, Ziggy DA, El Zarka D.A, Kao Kat MHF, Suman D.A, Tasha D.A, Eau Divine, Elsa de Faust, Ezzahra du Breuil are the 10 horses that will carry Apprentice Jockeys in the 1000-metre race. The winning Apprentice Jockey will qualify for the November final of the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship in Abu Dhabi.
Similarly the nine young jockeys in the pony race will be looking to win and qualify for the final of the Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony championship.
Xim de Landsheer, Seppe Balcaen, Xsana Brandts, Seppe van der Donck, Jef Verbeech, Iluna Coryn, Yana Van Rooy, James van der Scheuren, Ruben van der Scheuren are the young jockeys in the Pony race.