ARO 2025 Leading Owner – Al Nujaifi Racing (Racing Manager Val Bunting)

ARO 2025 Leading Trainer – James Owen

ARO 2025 Leading Jockey – Ray Dawson

ARO 2025 Leading Purebred Arabian – Fareedhat El Izz (FR)

ARO 2025 Leading PA Sire – Izz Al Khail (QA)/No Risk Al Maury (FR)

ARO 2025 Leading Breeder – Mr Stephen Blackwell

Racing Welfare 2025 Best Turned Out Winners – Charlie Wallis (Yard) Hayley Wallis (Individual)

2026 ARO Fixture List

THE ARABIAN RACEHORSE MAGAZINE IN ASSOCIATION WITH TRACKSIDE HANDICAP STAKES 0-60

1st Sassy (GB)

2nd Mdawi (FR)

3rd Mobaasher (GB)

O: Steve Blackwell

T: Mr Steve Blackwell

J: Isobelle Chalmers

Race Time: 2:24:84

Dist: nk, 3L, 1.75L

Race video:

LIPPO DE CARRERE WINS UAE PRESIDENT CUP (Group 1PA)

A first UK Arabian Derby success for Wathnan Racing at Doncaster on BetFred St Leger Day

Lippo De Carrere ridden by Mickael Barzalona for Alban de Mieulle, led home a one-two for Wathnan Racing in the UAE President Cup sponsored UK Arabian Derby (Gr1PA), at Doncaster today. Moneer and Jean-Bernard Eyquem for Damien de Watrigant was half a length behind in second, with Shaihaan and BetFred St Leger winning jockey Tom Marquand a further half a length away in third for Al Shaqab Racing and Francois Rohaut.

In front of a crowd of around 27,000, the steel grey colt gave his sire Al Mourtajez a third successive victory in the race, with the second and third placed runners also products of this remarkable stallion. The mile and a quarter contest had received a significant prize fund increase this year to £400,000 as part of a renewed UAE President Cup series, which was inaugurated in 1994. Envisioned by the UAE’s late founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The aim being to highlight the importance of purebred Arabian horses and to elevate their status while celebrating the heritage of the Emirates on a global scale.

Wathnan Racing owned Lippo De Carrere wins the UAE President Cup UK Arabian Derby Group 1PA ridden by Mickael Barzalona for Alban de Mieulle

©Debbie Burt Equine Creative Media

Starting the race was Ryan Colley, whose career was given an added boost by Arabian racing when he was given an eight-week International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA) scholarship, (supported by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed) when he was mentored at the North American Racing Academy. He then started his first full meeting of Arabian racing with ARO at Chelmsford City in 2016.

Mickael Barzalona, Jockey, 1^st: “He travelled very well all the way round, behind the second [Moneer], then when I asked him to go forward he relaxed very easily in front. He’s a very, very nice prospect, he just needs to keep learning, and he’ll be one of the best ones soon.

“He was fine with the ground, and he will keep improving, if he keeps going in the right way he will be very interesting in the future.”

©Debbie Burt Equine Creative Media

Alban de Mieulle, trainer, 1^st: “It was a well-deserved victory, as they say! Lippo de Carrere was very well ridden by Mickaël Barzalona, who knows him very well now. Everything went smoothly. He’s a colt with a bit of character but he has plenty of ability. He will improve a lot from this. In the four-year-old Derby at Chantilly, there wasn’t much between them in the race, and it’s satisfying to win today because he shows he’s of the calibre of good horses. It’s very encouraging. Now, he will head to Qatar and run in the four-year-old Derby.”

HE Faisal Al Rahmani, Event Manager for the UAE President Cup: “We are delighted for the winners of the race today. I’m very pleased with the way the series is going, we started with just six races and now there are 17 around the world. The directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed lead our race agenda to the highest level of global success. The British stage represents the pinnacle of four-year-old racing and reflects the fruitful partnership of this extraordinary event.”

©Debbie Burt Equine Creative Media

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “As we have seen many times before, the French Arabian Derby form is always a significant pointer to success at Doncaster and it gave us another highly competitive contest today. We congratulate Wathnan Racing on their win and second place and we look forward to following their careers this season and beyond. The winner of this race invariably goes on to further Group success, upholding the importance of this contest to the Arabian breed.

“We thank the UAE President Cup for their continued support of our racing and for the very significant increase in prize money.”

The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) was delighted with the declarations for the mile and a quarter UAE President Cup sponsored UK Arabian Derby (Gr1PA), to be held at 5.23pm on Saturday 13 September at Doncaster. Declarations include the placed horses from the French equivalent at Chantilly, along with the brother to the 2024 winner, who was supplemented last week. The UK stage of the UAE President Cup, the world’s oldest Arabian classic series, has returned after a two-year absence to its traditional slot on BetFred St Leger Day and has had its prize fund boosted to £400,000 – making it the most valuable race exclusively for four-year-old Arabians in Europe.

Of the eight declared, four are from France, three are from the UK and one is from Qatar. The highest rated is Lippo De Carrere, ridden by Mickael Barzalona and trained by Alban de Mieulle for Wathnan Racing. He has won in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, and was beaten half a length by the filly, Hajmah in the French equivalent on his first start in Europe. Just behind him in third that day was Moneer, bred like the world’s top-rated Arabian, Al Ghadeer by Dr Mohammad Al Nujaifi, but now carrying the Wathnan second silks, reunited with Jean-Bernard Eyquem. Al Shaqab Racing, who won this last year with Luwsail, have his brother Shaihaan, to be partnered by Tom Marquand, supplemented on Sunday. Carrying their first colours will be Al Theeb, partnered by top Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim. Lino is Group 3PA winner who bypassed the Chantilly race, but will be ridden here by Ioritz Mendizabal, the only jockey to win this contest before (Hayyan 2019, Luwsail 2024).

Lippo De Carrere (FR) and Soufiane Saadi win the Purebred Arabian 4YO Cup on Breeders Day at Al Rayyan at the 2025 HH The Amir Sword Festival © Debbie Burt

The domestic contingent will all be running at this level for the first time. Both Mdawi, trained by Charlie Wallis for Five Racing and Marakeb trained by Okbar Aashour for Pharitz Racing are by sires that have got past winners of this race in Azadi, and Al Mourtajez. The only filly, Okewood Bloodstock’s Hibikinada Du Mazet trained by James Owen, makes a quick reappearance following her third over this same trip at Royal Windsor on Monday.

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “We were thrilled with the depth and quality of entries for this year’s race and with the runners who stood their ground this morning. The French Arabian Derby form is always a significant pointer to success at Doncaster and the finish of this year’s race at Chantilly was so close, with just over three lengths separating the first seven home, it bodes well for a really competitive race.

“We thank the UAE President Cup for their continued support of our racing and for the very significant increase in prize money. We look forward to the race on Saturday, which can also be viewed live on Sky Sports Racing.”

CRE RUN FARM HANDICAP 0-75

1st Izenterisky (GB)

2nd Zizania Du Mazet (FR)

3rd Hibikinada Du Mazet (FR)

O: Mrs Sheila Collington

T: Mr Philip Collington

J: Dougie Costello

Race Time: 2:22:96

Dist: 5L, 1L, 5.5L

Race video:

SHAIHAAN, BROTHER TO 2025 WINNER ADDED AT THE SUPPLEMENTARY STAGE

FOR THE UAE PRESIDENT CUP – UK ARABIAN DERBY AT THE BETFRED ST LEGER FESTIVAL

The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) was delighted to welcome Shaihaan, the full brother to 2025 winner Luwsail after the supplementary stage closed today for the £400,000 UAE President Cup – UK Arabian Derby Group 1PA. The mile and a quarter race will be held on Saturday 13 September at Doncaster, returning to its traditional slot on BetFred St Leger Day, held as part of the world’s oldest Arabian classic series. Trained like Luwsail by Francois Rohaut for owner breeders Al Shaqab Racing, Shaihaan is now one of 11 entries from France, with a further four from the UK and one from Qatar.

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “We are thrilled to receive this supplementary entry, taking the total number to 16 for the most valuable Arabian race exclusively for four-yar-olds in Europe.

“We thank the UAE President Cup for their continued support of our racing and for the significant increase in prize money this year and we look forward to receiving declarations on Wednesday 10 September.”