March 3, 2013, Abu Dhabi ~ It was another win for owner Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah when 7-year-old grey AF Lafeh won the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup race at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday.
The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup was run over the sprint distance of 1000 metres on the turf here and Gillian Duffield saddled the winner with Sam Hitchcott, who steered AF Lafeh (Amer 
x Houriya Bouznika (MA)by Bartaba) to a handsome win in the 12-horse field.
Gabas Noor, Magik Du Paon and Latifa Princess – all previous winners of this race earlier in the season- were in the field but Hitchcott led the Amer son to a one-length win over Umfrey De L’Avant under Royston Ffrench with Gabas Noor (Harry Bentley up) in third. The winning time for the 5-furlong distance was 1:00.88.
It was Duffield’s first win as the 13th race of the Wathba Stud Farm Cup was worked off while it was the second successive for owner Al Naboodah after AF Qamoos won last week. It was his fourth win overall in this season’s series.
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan along with Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Ms Lara Sawaya, Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival and Head of Ladies Racing at IFAHR, Saif Al Awani of Al Awani General Enterprises, Stephen Bowey of Invest AD and Mohammed Al Harbi of Emirates Arabian Horse Society attended the prize distribution ceremony.
“After the tremendous success over three days of endurance racing the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival is back here at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club for the Wathba Stud Farm Cup race series,” said Ms Lara Sawaya, Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival and Head of Ladies Racing at IFAHR.
“This series gives opportunities to owners of private stables and small stables to compete against each other and give off their best,” she said.
The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival is organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare and Fegentri with Emirates airlines as the official carrier and sponsored by Invest AD, Al Rashid Investment, Areej Al Ameerat, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2013, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Wathba Stud Farm and Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
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