02/16/2006 10:57 PM | By M. Satya Narayan, Staff
Reporter
Abu Dhabi: Dubai policeman Naser Abdulla Mohammad Al
Marzouqi came up with a live replay of a dream he had the night before to score
a superb win in the 160-km endurance ride yesterday and lift the HH The
President Cup yesterday.
Riding Kaysand Farrazah, a 10-year-old grey
gelding owned by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-
President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Al Marzouqi
completed the 160-km ride on a dry and dusty afternoon to realise his dream and
also register his first career win in seven years.
Yesterday's
prestigious President Cup ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village
in Al Wathba had attracted a strong field and was attended by Shaikh Mohammad,
Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, and Shaikh Hamdan Bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and
Industry.
Al Marzouqi, who completed the ride in 7 hrs 16 mins and
29secs, was followed home by the defending champion Marzooq Salem Al Merri on
RoFabiola and the 2001 winner Hassan Bin Ali on Moonlight Prince.
"The
night before the ride I had a dream that I had a good chance of winning," said
the 24-year old who had finished fourth, third and fourth in his last three
starts.
"The field was very strong but I had a good start. Then as the
ride progressed, my horse looked in top condition. Just before the final two
loops of the six-stage race I knew I could win the Cup," said Al Marzouqi, who
has been riding since 1999.
He and Kaysand Farrazah, a horse trained by
former UAE champion Mubarak Khalifa Bin Shafya, were always in the lead pack
starting off in fourth place after the first 34kms and the next 32 kms. The pair
then made a move to move into the second position after the third stage of 30
kms.
Al Marzouqi then took the lead after the fourth loop and after
that, just kept building on that to finally win well.
His speed on the
final loop touched 27.32 kmph but that effort could not better last year's
President's Cup best of 7:02.21 set by Al Merri and Ro-Fabiola, the pair who
finished second.
"I tried my best but the winning horse was very good,"
said Al Merri, who however managed to overtake the second-placed Hassan Bin Ali
and finish behind the winner. The nine-year-old Ro-Fabiola, however, earned the
Best Conditioned Horse award to make Al Wathba Stables proud.
Among the
favourites, only Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, the reigning European
Open champion, managed to do well with a sixth place finish on Nashmi as the
former world champions, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Valerie Kanavy and
Danielle McGuinus, failed to make an impact.
While Shaikh Ahmad made an
exit after the third stage, the mother and daughter pair of Valerie and Danielle
were out after the fourth stage as both their horses went lame.
Shaikh
Hazza Bin Sultan Al Nahyan on Hachim was also unfortunate when the rider
withdrew after the fifth stage just before the final 16km
loop.
Yesterday's ride was sponsored by Dubai Waterfront, National Bank
of Dubai and Omega.
Results
1. Naser Abdulla Mohammad Al Marzouqi
(Kaysand Farrazah) 7hrs 16mins 29 secs
2. Marzooq Salem Al Merri
(Ro-Fabiola) 7:22.40
3. Hassan Bin Ali (Moonlight Prince)
7:28.27
4. Majid Mohammad Salman Al Sabri (Zakah Zahara)
7:31.37
5. Salem Rashid Bin Ghadayer (Dalton Du Capimont)
7:33.07
6. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum (Nashmi)
(7:33.08)
7. Jaume Punti Dachs-Spain- (Elvis Hab) 8:13.46
8.
Khalifa Bin Ghailata (El Estande) 8:24.35
9. Udo von Schauroth-Namibia-
(Barges) 8:27.36
10. Monica Comas Molist-Spain- (Janik An Triskell)
8:43:27
