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Wathba Stallions Cup for Fillies and Colts: Battle of Champions!
The international Arabian horse racing season in Brazil will start on Saturday, May 13th and will be a real battle of champions, with the two Wathba Stallions Cup Grand Prix for Fillies I and Colts I races, which are part of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Horse Racing Festival.
The two races, considered the most exciting to date, will be held at Hippodrome of Cidade Jardim, Jockey Club of São Paulo, over 1,300 meters on turf for 3-years-old & older with a purse of USD4,000 each.
The first race, the Grand Prix Wathba Stallions Cup for Fillies I, will feature the six best fillies of recent seasons, including four champions.
With three victories we will have the fillies Gluck AJR and Naizza Rach and with one victory Holly Pol Rach and RG Kalifa.
The five-year-old GLUCK AJR (Mared Al Sahra x Genna AJR by Voltaire Rach) bred and owned by Almir José Ribeiro, is trained by Oberdan and will be led by João Moreira.
NAIZZA RACH (Feitizzo Rach x La Nouba Endurance by *Saad Ibn Syed) also five years old is bred by Rach Stud Agropecuária Ltda. and owned by Ricardo Jamil Saliba. She is trained by Lucas Quintana and will be ridden by Idevaldo Silva.
Also bred by Rach Stud will be HOLLY POL RACH (All Pol Rach x Hinode ELS by Power World JQ, 6 years old), with a victory and which will be ridden by Rudinick Viana and NORMANDIA RACH (*Uzbek Du Lion x Novella Rach by Voltaire Rach, 4 years), conducted by Michael Silva. Both have Lucas Quintana as trainer and Agropecuária Ilha da Chapada Ltda. as owner.
Bred and owned by Cláudio R. G. Ribas and trained by Estanislau Petrochinski, RG KALIFA (Cáceres CSM x Caldas CSM by Pavel Rach, 4 years old) has a victory and will be ridden by Ruberlei Viana and RG ERA (RG Karat x RG Kasta by *Sarmata , 3 years) will be conducted by Wellinton Ariel.
The Grand Prix Wathba Stallions Cup for Colts I is the most prominent race and the most anticipated of the Arabian breed, as it brings together seven animals with a total of 28 victories and will be the first time that two champion sons of Mared Al Sahra, Clapton AJR and VG Raj Al Mared, will compete against each other and emerge as favorites.
The first to compete in Arabian races and demonstrate that he inherited the full potential of his father’s blood, five-years-old CLAPTON AJR (Mared Al Sahra x Cowboys Gal by Wiking) of five years brilliantly won the four races in which he participated, among them he won first place in Wathba Stallions Cup in May 2021 as well as setting a record in the 1,000m on turf in April 2022.
Clapton AJR, which will be ridden by Idevaldo Silva is bred and owned by Almir José Ribeiro and his trainer is Oberdan S. Pereira, is one of the great promises of Arabian horse racing in Brazil and in any other country.
His main opponent is his 4-year-old half-brother VG RAJ AL MARED (Mared Al Sahra x Daughter of Just HVP by *FA El Shawan). Driven by Jeane Alves since his debut, when he won by 24 ½ lengths; he has four wins in five of the races he has competed in, holding two records in the 1400 meters on turf and 1500 meters on dirt.
Bred and owned by José Carlos Vaz Guimarães (Haras Bluegrass), VG Raj Al Mared has Thiago Haidar as his trainer and is part of the new generation of Brazilian Arabian racing horses with a promising future and the competence to participate in any major race in the world.
The Rach Stud Agropecuaria Ltda. is the breeder with four animals in the race and Lucas Quintana the trainer; and the highlights are the seven-year-old champion MAHATMA RACH (*Sarmata x Magic All Rach by Ulisses Rach) with six wins being twice champion of the Wathba Stallions Cup for Colts (2021 and 2022). Owned by Ricardo Jamil Saliba, it will be led by Jefferson Bispo.
Five years old OBSTINADO RACH (Atentaddo Rach x Obsession Rach by Voltaire Rach) has five victories, one of them with Jorge Ricardo, jockey who holds the world record for victories in races, will have Michael Silva as jockey.
Seven-year-old GUNTHER RACH (Eksort Rach x Geneve AJR by Second Chall) has three wins, owned by Ricardo Jamil, will be ridden by Rudinick Viana.
With two victories conquered with Jorge Ricardo, 4-year-old HALLMARCK RACH (Bismarck Rach x Havella Rach by Pavel Rach) in this race will be ridden by José Severo and is owned by Stud Truc.
Winner of the Wathba Stallions Cup for Colts in May 2022, RG EL BAK (RG Karat x *Endora by Wojslaw, age 5) has four wins under his belt. Bred and owned by Cláudio R. G. Ribas and trained by Estanislau Petrochinski, he will be driven by Ruberlei Viana.
Almir José Ribeiro, Director of Arabian Horse Breeders Brazilian Association (ABCCA) said: “It’s the great start of our international Arabian horse racing season. And once again the HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival will lead the year 2023 and it could not be different. We started with two Grand Prix with our best animals in activity in Brazil that simply led our statistics in the last three years. There will be two Grand Prix with the best in terms of Arabian Sport Horses in South America.”
“I believe that the races on the 13th will be one of the best in recent years. There are seven horses that together add up to 28 victories, and some of them are record holders at various distances in Cidade Jardim. And there will be no shortage of fans, as these are two long-awaited races”, commented breeder José Carlos Vaz Guimarães.
Once again, Rach Stud Agropecuária is the breeder with the most animals in addition to being the largest breeder with the most horses in all races held in Brazil since 2013.
In addition to the prizes during the races, all horses participating in the 2023 Race Calendar also compete in the Race category of the Arabian Cup 2023 promoted by the Arabian Horse Breeders Brazilian Association.
The Grande Prêmio Wathba Stallions Cup for Fillies I and Colts I are organized by the Arabian Horse Breeders Brazilian Association in partnership with the Jockey Club of São Paulo.
The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Horse Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, with National Feed as strategic partner, The National Library & Archives as the official partner , MUBADALA as the official partner ,Emirates Airline as the official carrier, Etisalat as official sponsor & sponsored by Al Massood Automobiles Nissan, Areej Alameerat, Omeir Travels Agency, YAS Sports TV, Viola Communications, the UAE’s General Women’s Union , Emirates International Endurance Village, Emirates Arabian Horse Society & Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
