CARBONETZERO LIMITED HANDICAP STAKES 0-65

1st Mdawi (FR)

2nd Victoria (GB)

3rd Pharitz Lahia (GB)

 

O: Five Racing

T: Charlie Wallis

J: George Bass

 

Race Time: 2:55:46

Dist: 4L, 0.75L, 2L

Race video:

CARBONETZERO MAIDEN STAKES

1st Mdawi (FR)

2nd Amir Athbah (FR)

3rd RB Tryst (US)

 

O: Five Racing

T: Charlie Wallis

J: Charles Bishop

 

Race Time: 1:35:07

Dist: 1.5L, 0.5L, 1.5L

Race video:

CRE RUN FARM CONDITIONS STAKES

1st RB Yas Sir (US)

2nd Al Sharid (FR)

3rd Upstart Crow (GB)

 

O: K S Racing

T: Mr Philip Collington

J: Luke Morris

 

Race Time: 2:01:04

Dist: 3L, nk, 7L

Race video:

ARABIAN RACING ORGANISATION MAIDEN STAKES

ARORACING CONDITIONS STAKES

Race video:

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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

 

Jeewan and George Bass winning the ARO See You In 2025 (0-65) Handicap at Bath © Megan Dent Photography

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)

 

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

© Debbie Burt – Equine Creative Media

 

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

© Debbie Burt – Equine Creative Media

 

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

© Debbie Burt- Equine Creative Media

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)

 

 

 

 

Sassy and Oliver Carmichael winning the www.aroracing.co.uk (0-55) Handicap at Brighton © Debbie Burt – Equine Creative Media

 

Further Brighton homebred success for Blackwell

 

Tuesday 17 September 2024 –

Sassy gave owner-trainer-breeder Steve Blackwell further homebred success this afternoon in the  www.aroracing.co.uk (0-55) Handicap over an extended six furlongs at Brighton. The six-year-old daughter of Assy has struck up a great partnership with young apprentice Oliver Carmichael, winning by a short head from Kayack and George Rooke, with Delicatesse and Miss Teagan Padgett two lengths behind in third.

Brighton has proved a lucky track for all of the connections as Blackwell rode his first winner there as an apprentice, trained his first homebred winner there in Aloof, and has now scored again with her half-sister Sassy. Carmichael, who has only had 16 thoroughbred rides and now two Arabian rides, has also only won at Brighton, previously scoring twice on thoroughbreds.

Carmichael has not had a traditional grounding in horse racing, starting off on his mother Kerri’s horse aged 9, his first experience of racing was on an equiciser at Newbury, his local track. Given advice that day by ex-jockey Nick Bentley, he then started riding out at the yard of Cheltenham Gold Cup winning trainer Mark Bradstock. Deciding the Flat was the better option due to his size and weight, he visited Eve Johnson Houghton’s yard during National Racehorse week and has since joined her as an apprentice.

 

 

Quotes:

Oliver Carmichael, jockey,1^st: “I’ve had three winners here now! Sassy’s really learnt a lot from her last run at Chepstow, I hit the front a bit sooner than I would have liked, but she’s handled it really well, she kept her head in front and kept battling on.”

Steve Blackwell, trainer 1^st, 4^th, ^t: “I thought we were beaten. Every time I’ve been here, I’ve either ridden a winner or trained a winner. We had a meeting abandoned and I swore I’d never come again, but here we are with another winner. I thought Olly rode her well at Chepstow and he’s ridden her well this time. He’s let her get on with it and brought her to challenge at the right time.”

George Rooke, jockey, 2^nd: “ He’s ran an absolute blinder, I just got him in to a nice rhythm. We went an even gallop and he’s seen the hill out well. He’s enjoyed the ground, he’ll get further too.”

 

Steve Blackell, Kerri Carmichael, Oliver Carmichael, Sassy and Rachel Thomas after winning the www.aroracing.co.uk (0-55) Handicap at Brighton © Debbie Burt – Equine Creative Media

 

The race was the concluding contest on the card run to support Autism in Racing, whose representative and Doncaster paddock commentator Bobby Beevers explained, “When my daughter was diagnosed with autism during the first lockdown, my wife said she’d love to make everything more accessible for people with autism across the board, and that’s when I though racing could really step up to the mark. 

“Since it’s launch on Racing League Night at Doncaster in August 2021 we’ve gone from strength to strength, with more racecourse signed up and more people with autism working within the sport, which is what I hoped to increase. There’s only 29% of autistic people in some kind of work, so we’re continuing to raise awareness and have held some very successful workshops, with more planned moving forward.”

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “We are delighted for Steve and his partner Rachael Thomas for their win with Sassy. She was the product of Al Shahania Stud’s generous worldwide offer of free nominations to their leading racehorse Assy and is one of several horses from that crop to race with us this year. We are also pleased for Oliver, who is a great example of how initiatives like racing taster days and National Racehorse week can encourage people from outside of the sport to get involved.

“We now have a short break before our next race at Royal Windsor on Monday 30^th September.”

 

Kerri Carmichael, Oliver Carmichael and Steve Blackwell with the trophy for the www.aroracing.co.uk (0-55) Handicap at Brighton © Debbie Burt- Equine Creative Media

 

1st: SASSY (GB)

2nd: Kayack (GB)

3rd: Delicatesse (GB)

6 ran

Distances: short head, 2 Time: 1.30.53

Going: Good

 

© racetech

 

Zizania Du Mazet (GB) and Silvestre de Sousa winning the ARO Series Finale (0-75) Handicap at Doncaster © Debbie Burt – Equine Creative Media

First win for new syndicate owners in concluding race of the 2024 Doncaster St Leger Festival

 

Sunday 15 September 2024 –

There was a first Arabian win for Okewood Bloodstock this afternoon in the Arabian Racing Organisation Series Finale (0-75) Handicap over a mile a quarter at Doncaster. The second most valuable handicap of the season, with a prize fund of £10,000 went the way of French import Zizania Du Mazet, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa despite missing the break.

Entering the home straight they were all closly bunched with Paramer Angel and Charlie Price setting the pace on the rail. It looked as though Victoria and Miss Teagan Padgett would go clear for a third win this season, but Paramer Angel rallied as they were challenged by Al-Hatab and Mohammed Tabti who had been stuck in a pocket on the rail. However Al-Hatab hesitated in front, as Zizania Du Mazet and de Sousa were staying on strongly up their outside down the centre of the course. De Sousa just got the filly up by half a length on the line from Paramer Angel in second and Al-Hatab a further length away in third.

This was also a first European winner for the sire Rijm, who had been third, beaten a length over course and distance in the UAE President Cup – UK Arabian Derby in 2018. All being well this could be the target next year for the three-year-old Zizania Du Mazet.

 

 

Quotes:

Silvestre de Sousa, jockey,1^st: “James wanted me to be positive, I wanted to give her a chance to finish, she looked a bit green. When the penny dropped a furlong out, she stayed on strongly. It’s tough out there the conditions of the track now, being the last race, and it’s very wet and deep, made me struggle a little bit. I expected them to go hard, so I went a bit sooner than ideal and thought maybe I would get a place.  

“The trip is fine, she struggled a bit on the ground, but good to soft would be fine.”

Delyth Thomas, owner, trainer, 2^nd: “He’s a legend. To give that much weight to a young horse. He always sticks his head out and tries his best. I’m so proud of him.”

Peter Hammersley, trainer, 3^rd, 4^th: “Mohammed [Tabti] said when they hit the front, he thought Al-Hatab would go away from them like he did last year, but he put the brakes on, then when they came to him he went again. Maybe we’ll think about headgear next time.”

“Lewis [Saunders] thinks better ground and a true run race will suit Assassen better.

 

Silvestre de Sousa with Zizania Du Mazet (FR) after winning the ARO Series Finale (0-75) Handicap at Doncaster © Debbie Burt – Equine Creative Media

 

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “We are delighted for new syndicate owners, Okewood Blooodstock having their first winner with an Arabian, having previously owned thoroughbreds. We congratulate them, Silvestre de Sousa and all the Owen team for their win today. We also congratulate Rebecca Brady who won the Racing Welfare Best Turned Out Award with Paramer Angel. 

“We now head to Brighton on Tuesday for the www.aroracng.co.uk handicap, run as the concluding race of their first Autism-Friendly raceday.”

 

Silvestre de Sousa receives the trophy on behalf of Okewood Bloodstock from ARO CEO Genny Haynes for win in the ARO Series Finale Handicap (0-75) Handicap at Doncaster

© Debbie Burt- Equine Creative Media

 

1st: ZIZANIA DU MAZET (FR)

2nd: Paramer Angel (GB)

3rd: Al-Hatab (GB)

5 ran

Distances: 0.5, 1 Time: 2.27.35

Going: Soft

Racing Welfare Best Turned Out winner Paramer Angel © Debbie Burt – Equine Creative Media