Deniel rides Nordika to glory at Sheikha Fatima race in Bucharest

Alyson Deniel from the United Kingdom rode Nordika to a classy win in the Romanian leg of the Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship race on at the Hippodrome Ploiesti near Bucharest.

The 48-year-old Deniel who won on Conderosa Millenium Silver in the second race of the 2014 Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak World Ladies Championship series at the Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, once again won on Saturday here.

Nordika under Deniel completed the 1800-metre race ahead of Norway’s Silje Srand on Hesna Sultan.

“I am looking forward to the final in November and hope to do well for my country,” said the UK lady jockey recording her 28Th career win.

In the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship race five Apprentice jockeys vied for a berth in the November final in Abu Dhabi.

Bulgaria’s Valentin Atanaszov on Ferment, a horse trained by Ivanov and owned by Mehmet Unal, finished ahead of Poland’s Patrycja Klos on Walala and in third place was Tornado under Germany’s Melina Ehm.

With Arabian racing make a revival here in Romania, the local fans had much to cheer for in the Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony championship race.

The ponies and young jockeys put up a spirited show in the shorter format and it was a clean sweep by Romania.

Morcovel under Romania’s Nicola Ivan finished first with Mircea under Ana Neagu and Andre under another Romanian Theodora Maldea in second and third place respectively.

Nicole will be representing her country in the Abu Dhabi final of the Sheikha Lateefa Bint Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Pony championship in November.

At the conclusion of the Bucharest Forum, the organisers of the Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival announced Abu Dhabi as the host city for the 2020 World Arabian Horse Racing Forum.

Dr Abdulla Alraisi and Helal Alalawi received the Festival’s flag from Mahra Alshaya, Charge d’Affaires at the UAE Embassy in Romania and Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR).

The event was attended by a number of UAE Ambassadors and over 300 members of the equestrian fraternity from around the globe representing 90 countries from the six continents.

“We can only thank His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs for the support this festival for Arabian horses,” Ms Sawaya said.

She also thanked Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the Emirates, President of the General Women’s Union, the Supreme President of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, which supports women activities all over the world.

Ms Sawaya said that the Forum in Bucharest was very busy and distinguished and achieved many gains for the Arabian horses, and that this edition of the Festival has gained great importance because it coincides with the ‘Year of Tolerance.’

“Abu Dhabi, which hosted the inaugural edition, was chosen as the UAE is hosting Expo 2020,” she said.

After the inaugural three-day conference in Abu Dhabi in 2010, the Forum has been held in The Hague in The Netherlands in 2011, Berlin in Germany in 2012, Toulouse in France in 2013, London in the United Kingdom in 2014, Warsaw in Poland in 2015, Rome in Italy in 2016, Marrakech in Morocco in 2017, Madrid in Spain in 2018 and the just-concluded one in Bucharest, Romania.

Earlier on Friday the Forum’s staged its final session followed by a Workshop and then in the evening a gala party was organised to felicitate all those who attended the three-day event.

Alshaya,  Ms Sawaya, Dr Abdulla Alraisi, Director General of UAE National Archives, Faisal Al Rahmani, Chairman of IFAHR, Mubarak Al Nuaimi, DCT Abu Dhabi, Khulood Al Nuaimi of National Feed and Flour Production & Marketing Co LLC, Mohammed Abdulla Al Masaood Automobiles, Khaled Al Nabooda, Chairman of Alaweer Farm among others attended the prize distribution ceremony of the Festival’s races which were part of the ‘UAE Tolerance Day’ race meeting.