HM Alchahine storms to victory at the UAE President’s Cup in Hamburg

ABU DHABI: HM Alchahine (France), a 4-year-old Purebred Arabian gelding owned by Helal Alalawi (France), stormed to victory in The UAE President’s Cup over 1,600 meters at Hamburg’s Horner Rennbahn on Sunday.

The race marked the seventh leg of the prestigious UAE President’s Cup series, now in its 32nd edition.

It was held under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, vice president of the UAE, deputy prime minister, and chairman of the presidential court.

The series highlights the UAE’s continued commitment to preserving and promoting the global stature of Purebred Arabian horses, a key pillar of Emirati heritage, the Emirates News Agency reported.

Staged in conjunction with the 156th edition of the historic German Derby, the UAE President’s Cup drew a crowd of nearly 30,000 spectators and featured a record prize purse of almost $293,500, making it the richest Arabian race in German history.

Trained by Jean-Francois Bernard and brilliantly ridden by Cristian Demuro, HM Alchahine powered home to claim his second UAE President’s Cup win, following his earlier triumph in the Italian leg.

He crossed the finish line decisively, clocking a winning time of 1 minute, 45.42 seconds, further cementing his reputation on the European circuit.

Finishing second was Al-Wakrah (France), owned by Al-Shaqab Racing, trained by Jean-Loup de Mieulle and ridden by Olivier d’Andigne. Al-Zeer (France), owned by Mohamed Fahad A.H. Al-Attiyah, finished third under trainer Francois Rohaut and jockey Adrie de Vries.

Also in the field were Papillion T (Holland), representing the Netherlands and trained and owned by Gerard Th. Zoetelief; Al-Zwair (France), also owned by Al-Shaqab Racing; and Djafar (France), owned by Abubaker