The Arabian Racing Organisation’s (ARO) 2025 season returns at Wolverhampton on Monday 7^th April with increased prize money adding to the excitement around the returning series. This year, all Arabian races run in the UK will be worth a minimum of £6,000 thanks to a host of new sponsors.

During the off season ARO have teamed up with the likes of CarbonetZero Ltd, Rapido Racing, Newmarket Equine Salt Therapy System and Cre Run allowing the organisation to boost the prize money across the board throughout the new campaign. Al Nujaifi Racing Ltd will support the ARO season in the UK this year with three horses in-training, while they will also sponsor two races including a new £15,000 Fillies & Mares Listed Purebred Arabian (PA) Stakes at Windsor in June.

Highlights of the ARO season in 2025 include the Qatar International Stakes, run at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, which will be worth £400,000. The UAE President Cup is back as part of the St Leger Festival this year and has also seen its prize money increase to £400,000.

There will also be two handicaps worth £10,000 each that will feature as part of the 2025 ARO season.

James Owen has trained purebred Arabians since 2015 and has been crowned Leading Arabian Trainer in the UK six times. Owen has trained Arabian winners around the world including in the UK, Belgium and Holland and is keen to retain his association with the breed. Owen has won the Arabian Racing Achievement Award at the HWPA Derby Awards on three separate occasions.

Owen trains across all codes including National Hunt and Flat as well as Arabian. He trained his first Group 2 winner on the flat last year in his first full season with a licence in the shape of Wimbledon Hawkeye. The Gredley Family-owned colt won the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) impressively and is one of the leading players in this year’s Derby.

Ahead of the new ARO season, Champion Trainer, James Owen said, “We’ve got nine Arabians this season. We’ve got a good mixture of some horses who did well last season and some horses who did well last year but are still developing. They’ve done really well over the Winter, and we’re really pleased with how they are training.”

He added, “I think it’s great that we’re racing for good prize money. All the races are worth over £6,000 and there are some really good incentives for some of the mid range handicaps, where a win can almost half pay for your season.”

ARO Chief Executive, Genny Haynes, said, “We are delighted to confirm this season’s programme of Arabian races, which will take place at racecourses across Britain. Our thanks go to our new sponsors CarbonetZero Ltd, Rapido Racing, Newmarket Equine Salt Therapy System and Cre Run for their support this season, which has meant we have been able to invest significantly into the prize money available at all levels across the programme. Likewise, to Al Nujaifi Racing Ltd, who will have three horses in training this season alongside their sponsorship of the new Fillies & Mares Listed race at Windsor.”

“The two highlights of the Arabian racing season in Britain, both worth £400,000 this season, will take place alongside two of the summer’s most popular thoroughbred racing festivals. The Qatar Goodwood Festival will once again host the Group 1 Qatar International Stakes, whilst the UAE President’s Cup will sit alongside the World’s Oldest Classic on Betfred St Leger Day at Doncaster, and becomes Europe’s richest 4-year-old only Arabian race.”

Further details can be found at www.aroracing.co.uk

Notes to editors:

ARO 2025 FIXTURE LIST

April Mon 7th Wolverhampton (AW)

Mon 28th Lingfield Park (AW)

May Tue 13th Chepstow

Fri 23rd Bath

Thu 29th Lingfield Park

June Tue 10th Wolverhampton (AW)

Thu 12th Great Yarmouth

Mon 23rd Wolverhampton (AW)

Sat 28th Windsor

July Wed 2nd Bath

Sat 12th Chester (LA)

Thu 17th Chepstow

Wed 30th Goodwood

August Mon 4th Lingfield Park

Sat 16th Doncaster

Sun 17th Southwell (AW)

Sun 31st Brighton

September Mon 8th Windsor

Sat 13th Doncaster

Tue 30th Bath

(AW) All Weather courses

(LA) denotes a late afternoon meeting

News

RACING WELFARE BEST TURNED OUT AWARD WINNERS REWARDED

23rd December 2024 ARO

Racing Welfare Best Turned Out Individual Award winner Sue Wileman (with ARO leading horse Coljani) © Debbie Burt

ARO also recognises the racing charity’s invaluable support

Monday 23 December 2024 –

The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) warmly congratulates Sue Wileman and trainer, Delyth Thomas, recipients of the Racing Welfare Best Turned Out series award winners for 2024. Each were presented with cash awards of £150 for gaining the most points, as an individual and stable respectively, throughout this UK Arabian racing season.

As 2024 draws to a close, ARO have also made a donation to Racing Welfare in recognition of all the support they have given Arabian racing and its staff since the association between the two organisations was established in 2017.

Racing Welfare Best Turned Out Stable Award winner Delyth Thomas with Becca Brady and Brett Norris © Willie McFarland

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “ARO is extremely grateful Racing Welfare, who have been supporting the Best Turned Out award series for seven years, recognising all our hard-working staff on course and behind the scenes. We congratulate Sue, Delyth and all Delyth’s team who do such a brilliant job of presenting their horses in such a professional manner, which is a great credit to our sport.

“Racing Welfare supports all the people within British Horseracing by offering practical help and professional guidance and this donation recognises the invaluable assistance they have already given to Arabian racing and its participants. We look forward to continuing to work with them in 2025.”

Next race: 7 April 2025

2024 ARO Leaders

News

ARO CONGRATULATES THE 2024 SEASON LEADERS

9th December 2024 ARO

ARO CEO Genny Haynes with Teagan Padgett, Lissie Reeves and James Owen © Debbie Burt

Home Grown Success Rewarded

The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) warmly congratulates all of the season’s leaders for their success in 2024. Newmarket based James Owen has already been recognised with the Arabian Racing Achievement Award at the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association Annual Derby Awards Lunch, having regained his leading trainer title and assisted stable amateur Teagan Padgett to a second consecutive leading jockey title. Significantly he also became the first UK based leading owner since 2003, when it was won by Michael Brunton.

The leading Arabian, Coljani, was co-owned and bred in the UK by his trainer Peter Hammersley, with Trevor Banks and Micheal Flack of the Raffles Partnership. Banks (with his late brother Colin, for whom the horse is named), has been in the sport for over 20 years and this success marks a poignant personal achievement as well as deserved reward for his and Flack’s patience, having also bred the dam, Our Dream.

The leading sire title went to the second season stallion, RB Burn, due mainly to the successes of James Owen’s homebred Victoria and to Al Asayl Bloodstock’s Rich Pulls Pitch, in whose colours RB Burn also raced. Rich Pulls Pitch later went on to secure the top price in the Horses In Training segment of the Auctav Arabian Autumn Sale at €18,000.

RB Burn winning the Group 1PA Jewel Crown in 2016 © Debbie Burt

James Owen commented: It’s fantastic to be leading owner with my home breds, I’ve really enjoyed watching them race, and to see how they’ve developed from three to four years. To be leading owner against some big outfits from overseas is lovely. I only had a couple of horses, but my riders ride them, and we’ve been able to race them a lot, and they’ve won or been placed on nearly every run. I’m looking forward to running their relations next season.

“It’s also great to be leading trainer again as I learnt my trade with the Arabians and it’s nice that I’ve been sent some better horses again, since the Shadwell days, that I can compete with at the higher levels. They’ve run well all year. Going to the Arc was great, though it was shame we couldn’t get a prep run in, as First Classs came in a bit too late to us, but I thought he ran very well and we all had a great experience over there.

“Credit must also go to Lissie Reeves, my Arabian Assistant, who has been a big help planning their races and representing me on racedays. She’s learnt a lot this season by doing it and hopefully one day she can train Arabians in her own right.”

James Owen ARO Leading Owner & Trainer © Debbie Burt

Teagan Padgett commented: “I think my season highlight was riding Victoria. It was really nice to ride a filly that we broke in here last year and it’s nice to see her progress. I’m considering getting my apprentice licence out next year, I just need to get the winter out of the way first.”

Teagan Padgett ARO Leading Jockey 2024 © Debbie Burt

Peter Hammersley commented: “Coljani had a few muscle issues last year that I didn’t want to repeat, but once I’d got more confidence in him being ok, we put some serious work into him and then he had those five runs where he wasn’t out of the first three. That Lingfield win was incredible, Colin [Banks] would have been so proud of him, and I thought Paddy [Bradley] gave him a brilliant ride to win at Chepstow too, though Marco Ghiani also deserves some credit for teaching him to settle earlier in the season.”

Micheal Flack commented, “It’s been great, this project started 11 years ago when Trev invited me to Ireland to watch Forgehill Cosaque and then we bred Our Dream. To be having the success that we’ve had this year, it means a lot. We missed out with Our Dream unfortunately, but we made it with Coljani.”

Trevor Banks commented, “Coljani is versatile as to trip, every jockey that gets off him loves him, he’s so tough and honest. He has got a little bit about him. You need luck to go with you and not against you in this business, but we’d hope there’s more to come next year.”

Peter Hammersley with Coljani © Debbie Burt

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “We are delighted for James, Lissie, Teagan and the team at Green Ridge Stables, as well as for Peter, Trevor and Micheal with Coljani. That our leader’s success has been primarily down to horses that they have bred themselves is also extremely important for the grass roots of our sport.

“We are also pleased to see a new stallion come to the fore in RB Burn, particularly one that represents a new owner to us in the UK in Al Asayl Bloodstock. We have also had other new owners join us this year and we hope that their success will encourage more new owners, as well as past owners to return in 2025.

“We also thank Farm and Stable and The Arabian Racehorse for sponsoring our awards this season and look forward to the start of the season on April 7^th with the fixture list and race plan to be published shortly, together with a registration incentive’.

2024 ARO Leaders

News

JAMES OWEN GAINS THIRD ARABIAN RACING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

3rd December 2024 ARO

James Owen receives the 2024 Arabian Racing Achievement Award from Equine MediRecord CEO Pierce Dargan © Fran Altoft

2024 Horserace Writers and Photographers Association Annual Derby Awards Lunch

Tuesday 3 December 2024 –

Yesterday afternoon the Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) proudly recognised the achievements of Newmarket based trainer James Owen, who was presented with a third Arabian Racing Achievement Award by Pierce Dargan of Equine MediRecord. The award was given as part of the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association Annual Derby Awards Lunch, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London on Monday December 2.

This year Owen, who is now in his second season holding a full licence from the British Horseracing Authority, has secured over 100 winners under three codes, in Flat, National Hunt and Arabian racing. He secured his sixth ARO trainers title, in addition to a first ARO owners title, becoming the first domestic based winner of that award since 2003, when it was won by Michael Brunton.

He started the season with just three Arabians, last year’s leading horse, Upstart Crow, owned by his Arabian assistant Lissie Reeves and her mother, Linda, as well as two homebred fillies, Victoria and Delicatesse. All three have been winners this year and as the season progressed, he gained two fillies from Al Nujaifi Racing, Amirat Al Zaman, Fareedhat El Izz and two filles for new UK syndicate Okewood Bloodstock, Hibikinada Du Mazet and Zizania Du Mazet. Last to arrive were the multi-million-dollar winner, First Classs, and Winds Of Fortune from Cre Run Farm to summer in the UK before returning to leading UAE trainer Doug Wason for a winter campaign. All bar First Class won, though First Classs had a tough assignment to make his seasonal return in Paris, giving Owen his first runner in the Qatar Arabian World Cup.

Always a supporter of young jockeys, one of his stable amateur’s Teagan Padgett, secured a second ARO jockeys’ title. Under rules, his apprentice, Sean Dylan Bowen became Champion Apprentice, whilst Alex Chadwick, himself a dual ARO leading jockey, secured the Gentleman’s Champion Amateur title in the Amateur Jockeys Association Championship.

With his thoroughbreds he has gained black type wins under both codes with Burdett Road, Wimbledon Hawkeye and East India Dock, and has plenty to look forward to at the highest level in all spheres in 2025.

James Owen and the team at Green Ridge Stables with recent Cheltenham winners Burdett Road (right) and East India Dock © Debbie Burt

James Owen commented: “I’m delighted to win this award again. So pleased to still be involved in Arabian racing as I learnt my trade with them, and to be leading trainer for a sixth time as well as enjoying success with my thoroughbreds on the Flat and jumping.”

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “We are thrilled for James. Since taking out his full licence he has shown that it is possible to successfully train Arabians alongside thoroughbreds at all levels, which is a great example to all. He has also maintained a connection with his roots by supporting amateur riders and we wish him every success next season.

“We also thank ARO’s Associate Sponsor Equine MediRecord for their continued support of Arabian racing and for their sponsorship of this award at one of the British racing industries most prestigious events which brings our sport to a much wider audience each year.”

News

JEEWAN MAKES A FAIRYTALE RETURN TO ARO AT BATH

Video 1st November 2024 ARO

Repays delighted owners’ faith in bringing him back to racing

Thursday 31 October 2024 –

Jeewan made a fairytale return to Arabian racing in the ARO See You In 2025

(0-65) Handicap at Bath today. Ridden by George Bass and sporting first time blinkers, the eight-year-old broke well and made all to win by an impressive seven and a half lengths, despite being off the track for two years. Jeewan had course form having won over 2m1f in June 2022 and Bass played to his strengths, despite Coljani and Jack Doughty keeping him honest in the early stages. Peter Hammersley’s charge was no match for the winner and after what has been a long but successful season for him, finished eased down, with Kayack and Kieran O’Neil finishing second and Sassy and Oliver Carmichael just under two lengths further adrift in third.

Bred by Shadwell Stud, the son of three-time Kahayla Classic winner Madjani was sold as part of their dispersal to Darren and Jayme Plumb giving Plumb her last Arabian winner, before she lost her life in a tragic accident several weeks later. The Plumb family later sold Jeewan for a second career outside of racing but when given the opportunity to buy him back in August this year, did so, sending him to Barry Brennan to train with this race in mind.

Quotes:

Darren Plumb, owner, 1^st: “We’re over the moon with Jeewan. George [Bass] gave him a lovely ride today and the plan is to look to see if there’s anything suitable for him in Belgium or France next.

“He’s given Barry Brennan his first Arabian winner, having trained plenty of thoroughbred winners. The horse has been galloping on his own as he didn’t have anything suitable to work with him, and he’s been swimming, and in great form at home,

“When he stopped racing, Maddie had him jumping 80’s and 90’s so we sold him to a teenager as show jumper. They didn’t really get on, so we were given the opportunity to buy him back, we’re delighted.”

Maddie Plumb, George Bass, Jeewan and Darren Plumb, winners of the ARO See You In 2025 (0-65) Handicap Stakes © Megan Dent Photography

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “We’re delighted for the Plumb’s to be able to bring back Jeewan so successfully to racing today, which underlines the versatility of the Arabian horse. We also congratulate Peter Hammersley and the Raffles Partnership who despite not making the frame with Coljani today, have secured the ARO Leading Horse title with him.

“This concludes our racing for the 2024 season and we look forward to returning in April 2025.”

Willie McFarland presents Maddie Plumb with the trophy for the ARO See You In 2025 (0-65) Handicap at Bath © Megan Dent Photography

1st: JEEWAN (FR)

2nd: Kayack (GB)

3rd: Sassy (GB)

4 ran Distances: 7.5, 1.75 Time: 3.24.84

Going: Soft (Good to Soft in places)

News

HIBIKINADA DU MAZET IMPRESSES IN THE WATHBA STALLIONS CUP

Video 22nd October 2024 ARO

Hibikinada Du Mazet and Jack Mitchell winning the Wathba Stallions Cup (0-75) Handicap at Bath from Paramer Angel and Dougie Costello and Sassy and Oliver Carmichael

New syndicate owners end their season on a high

Monday 21 October 2024 –

New syndicate owners Okewood Bloodstock ended their first season of Arabian racing with another winner as Hibikinada Du Mazet dug deep for a three quarters of a length success at Bath on testing ground. She was the youngest runner in the Wathba Stallions Cup (0-75) Handicap, but still had plenty of weight to carry having finished second on her debut in July on the Polytrack at Lingfield. She faced a strong challenge from long-time leader Delyth Thomas’s Paramer Angel who had won over the same mile trip on heavy in May, who was sent off as favourite. Steve Blackwell’s Sassy, whom he bred as well as trains, filled the third position.

The three-year-old is one of two homebred fillies purchased by the syndicate from Mathieux Talleux’s Haras du Mazet in France that are now in the care of with leading ARO trainer James Owen. The other, Zizania Du Mazet won a similar handicap at Doncaster last month, also beating Paramer Angel in a close finish. Both fillies will be put away for the winter with a view to a possible Arabian Derby campaign next season.

Quotes:

Jack Mitchell, jockey,1^st: “The race went to plan, James just said to latch on to the back of Dougie’s horse and if she’s good enough and street wise enough, she should be there with a chance. That’s exactly how it went. She was green when she hit the front, but that’s just inexperience, she handled the ground ok, it’s very soft and it’s quite holding, drying ground. She seemed handle it, but she’ll be better on better ground as she feels like should quicken quite well. She could get a bit further, she was strong through the line and went right round the bend to pull up. She’s a nice prospect going forward.”

Lissie Reeves, Arabian assistant trainer to James Owen, 1st: “Delighted with her, she ran really well, especially considering the ground conditions and the weight she was carrying. She’ll be a really exciting horse next year for us.”

Jack Mitchell, Hibikinada Du Mazet and Lissie Reeves winners of the Wathba Stallions Cup (0-75) Handicap at Bath

Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival commented, “We are delighted to see new owners coming into Arabian racing so successfully and thrilled that the support of HH Sheikh Mansoor can make a difference to the grass roots of the sport.”

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “We’re so pleased for new syndicate owners, Okewood Blooodstock to have had such success in their first season Arabian racing, having previously owned thoroughbreds. We congratulate them, Jack Mitchell and all the Owen team for their win today and Lissie Reeves who also won The Arabian Racehorse Best Turned Out Award with the filly.

“Our thanks also go to ARO associate sponsor’s Equine MediRecord whose Chief Operations Officer Finlay Dargan who joined us today and received the trophy on behalf of Okewood Bloodstock.

“We return to Bath on Thursday 31 October for another Wathba Stallions Cup handicap, run as the concluding race of our 2024 season.”

Genny Haynes with Lissie Reeves, Jack Mitchell and Finlay Dargan, winners of the Wathba Stallions Cup (0-75) Handicap at Bath with Hibikinada Du Mazet

1st: HIBIKINADA DU MAZET (FR)

2nd: Paramer Angel (GB)

3rd: Sassy (GB)

4 ran – NR 6 Distances: 0.75, 1.75 Time: 2.03.38

Going: Soft (heavy in places)