Arabian Racing at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Monday 28th May 2018 The Royal Calvary of Oman brings ‘Group 3 ARO Cup’ to Royal Windsor Racecourse
Posted on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 by Sasha Melia
The first Pattern race of the UK Arabian racing season, the ARO Cup Group 3 PA will take place at Royal Windsor Racecourse on Monday 28th May.
The prestigious £15,000 race, the first of nine Arabian Pattern races scheduled for the UK under the Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) banner, will be run over a mile and will feature some of the top Arabian horses based in the UK and will also look to attract overseas runners.
Sponsors, The Royal Calvary of Oman are not strangers to Royal Windsor and have come back to the course after sponsoring a card here in 2017. The race will be the only Arabian race on this 7 race Thoroughbred card and will be a highlight for the Royal Cavalry complimenting a range of races run throughout the season, from the grass roots to its high end finale where they will sponsor The Royal Cavalry of Oman Clarendon Stakes, a Group 3 run over 5 furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 18th August.
Racehorse Trainer, for the Royal Calvary of Oman Said Al Badi said; ‘’we are delighted to be back in the UK and especially at Royal Windsor, showcasing this Group 3 Race as an international event. We have several horses here in the UK this season and hope to have runners in the race itself’’.
ARO Racing Operations Manager Willie McFarland commented: “ARO is very proud of its association with The Royal Cavalry of Oman they have been part of Arabian racing in the UK for more than ten years, their sponsorship is extremely valuable to UK Arabian Racing and we are delighted that they have continued to support us so generously for so many years, we wish them every success throughout the season and hope the relationship will continue for many years to come.”
The Bank holiday fixture at Royal Windsor offers its visitors a fun-filled selection of entertainment and attractions including a variety of stalls, face painting, arts and crafts, bouncy castle, pony rides and funfair! Enjoy a great days racing and lots of fun for the whole family on this May bank holiday Monday.
About the Royal Calvary of Oman
The red, green and gold silks of the Royal Cavalry of Oman are a familiar sight in Arabian Races around the UK and their presence and generosity as a sponsor and owner has grown considerably over the past few years. Permanently based on the outskirts of Oman’s capital, Muscat, The Royal Cavalry of Oman are dedicated to the promotion and development of equine breeding and racing as well as training young up and coming jockeys. The Cavalry is led by Brigadier-General Abdulrazak Alshahwarzi who has been instrumental in the promotion of Arabian racing and its heritage by his outstanding contribution to the sport. Their Arabian Racehorse trainer Said Al Badi and his Cavalry racing team will have travelled over 3000 miles to spend the coming months at their UK base in Berkshire while competing at racecourses in the UK.
The Royal Cavalry of Oman enjoyed their best season to date in the UK in 2017, finishing second in the ARO Owners Championship; with seven wins from four individual winners, their victories included two Group 1’s and a Group 2, and £118,676 in prize money. The Royal Cavalry of Oman’s breeding programme also payed dividends last season with their first ever homebred Group 1 winner, Nafees (who won the UK Arabian Derby on Doncaster St Leger day) and the Group 2 juvenile winner, Riyam.
The cavalry itself has strong ties with royalty in the UK having been delivered a celebrated performance at the Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebration at Windsor in 2016 when more than 100 horses and over 200 members of The Royal Cavalry of Oman have travelled from their base in Muscat to London to perform their musical ride and traditional Omani riding in front of Her Majesty The Queen. They also participated in the 2012 celebration of the Queens Diamond Jubilee when they took centre stage at the Royal Pageant, true recognition of the passion shared by Oman and UK Royalty.
About ARO and the Arabian
ARO, officially the Arabian Racing Organisation Limited, is the sole Arabian Racing Authority in the UK, operating with the support and permission of the British Horseracing Authority and under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Organisation unifies, regulates and represents Arabian Horseracing in the UK and works to ensure the ongoing development of Arabian racing within the wider horseracing industry. Racing with ARO is primarily an amateur sport in the UK, although you will see professional jockeys riding in some of the high end races throughout the season.
ARO works hard to educate and promote the integrity of the sport, maintaining a safe, competitive environment and promoting fair play. It ensures the welfare of the industry participants, both human and equine and seeks to monitor standards and set an example for the international community. The Organisation also sets out to endorse its legacy – to balance tradition with progression and sustainability of the sport of Arabian racing and to encourage the next generation to participate in the ‘Sport of Kings’
The Arabian Horse is one of the oldest breeds, developed for stamina and soundness over long distances by the Bedouin tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. During the late 17th and early 18th century, horseracing became popular in Britain with races run in heats, over distances of up to four miles, stamina and soundness were of great importance. Breeders looked to the East for this quality and many oriental stallions and mares were imported to help create the Thoroughbred racehorse. The most famous of these foundation stallions were The Darley Arabian, The Godolphin Arabian and The Byerley Turk.
Today around 50% of Thoroughbreds trace their ancestry to the Darley Arabian alone and with the emphasis now on breeding for speed, the modern Thoroughbred is approximately one second faster per furlong than an Arabian racehorse.
Arabian racing and breeding takes place in 32 countries around the world. Arabian racehorses in the majority of countries do not race until they are three years old, so foals tend to be born later in the year. Unlike Thoroughbreds artificial insemination is permitted, allowing breeders all over the world to access top stallions, no matter where their mares are.
Countries such as France America, Russia, Poland and the Gulf States have a full programme of Arabian racing integrated with Thoroughbred racing, while in Turkey it is almost 50-50 Thoroughbred to Arabian racing at their racecourses. Just like their Thoroughbred cousins, Arabian racehorses may compete in maidens, handicaps, conditions and Group (Pattern) races and there is an international classification system to assist global competition. Most races range in distance from five furlongs to two miles.
Purebred Arabian racing began in the UK in 1978 and was established as the Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) in 1999 under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. ARO hold over 70 races a season, comprising of full fixtures and single races on Thoroughbred cards from spring through to autumn. The Dubai International Arabian Races (www.diaraces.com) is the biggest event in the UK Arabian racing calendar and attracts runners worldwide; held at Newbury Racecourse (UK) the fixture features three Group 1 races and a Group 3 Purebred Arabian race on its eight race international card.
Getting there and on the day information
Gates open: 11.55 First race: 13.55pm
Last Race: 17.25
Conveniently located 1.5 miles from Windsor town centre the racecourse is easily accessible and well signposted from junction 6 on the M4 and junction 3 on the M3. If using sat-nav please use the postcode SL4 5EZ
For further information, please contact Alison Lidderdale, Sponsorship and Commercial Manager, at the Arabian Racing Organisation, on 07785 785 375 or e-mail alison@aroracing.co.uk
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