The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) today published the declarations for the UAE President Cup (UK Arabian Derby) to be held on Doncaster St Leger Day, Saturday 12 September. The six runners for the prestigious Group 1PA contest include Hattal, winner of the French equivalent at Chantilly earlier this year. Should he be successful, he will be the fourth consecutive colt to do the French-UK Derby double since the UAE President Cup resumed its’ association with the race in 2016.
Trained by Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte, Hattal represents last years’ winning connections, YAS Horse Racing Management and will be ridden for the first-time by Tadhg O’Shea. Eight-time UAE Champion Jockey O’Shea, whose return to the Gulf has been delayed by Covid, won four Group 1PA races on Hattal’s dam Mizzna, including the 2008 Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup night.
The remaining runners include progressive recent winners Jugurtha De Monlau also from France, and Alameen for ARO Patron, HH Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. Alameen is the highest rated of the six UK trained candidates and will be partnered by Jim Crowley, who finished fourth on the colt in a Group 2 PA event last season.
The UAE President Cup is the oldest Purebred Arabian race series and it is fitting that it takes place on the same card as the UK’s oldest thoroughbred classic, the St Leger. Run over a mile and a quarter, the UAE President Cup (UK Arabian Derby) is exclusively for four-year-olds and has been won by Nafees, Rodess Du Loup and Hayyan, all winners of the French Arabian Derby.
Genny Haynes, ARO Commercial and Finance Director was delighted commenting. “This race consistently confirms a winner of the highest class and we thank the UAE President Cup Series for their generous support of our feature race for four-year-olds.
“We also thank Doncaster racecourse and the British Horse Racing Authority for their support of international Arabian racing, enabling this race to go ahead during these challenging times. This event is now firmly established as part of St Leger Day, at Doncaster’s most prestigious meeting of the year, which enhances the contest’s prestige and Arabian racing’s status in the UK.”
