Following the British Horseracing Authority’s update this week regarding racecourse biosecurity protocols, ARC and ARO can confirm the postponement of Arabian races scheduled for 25 May at Windsor and 1 June at Lingfield Park.
Currently, only horses from BHA licenced training yards are permitted to enter racecourse property on a raceday. Whilst a number of Arabian horses are stabled within BHA licenced training yards, some are not. Therefore, as a precautionary measure and following discussion with the BHA, the races above will not go ahead as scheduled.
ARC and ARO will continue to engage with the BHA with regards to races scheduled beyond 1 June and the rearrangement of the two postponed races at Windsor and Lingfield Park.
The Arabian Racing Organisation’s (ARO) 2025 season returns at Wolverhampton on Monday 7th 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.”
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, 1st:“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.”
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.”
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 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,1st:“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
