Al Marzouqi clinches maiden win

ABU DHABI // Hamad Ibrahim al Marzouqi emerged the winner of the 100-kilometre endurance for the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 race which was exclusively for Emirati riders of privately-owned stables. Marzouqi made virtually all the running on the 13-year-old gelding Lautaro for the Al Ain Stables to win the race in over four hours and 10 minutes at the Dubai International Endurance City in Seih Assalem on Friday.

Rashid Arif al Zarouni on Soughah finished second ahead of Mohammed Hassan Abdulla on Tiramisu and Layla Abdul Aziz al Redha on Mafaida De Bellevue from a field of 72. "My instructions from the trainer Matar al Yabouni were to keep a steady pace and the horse responded well," said the winning rider, who led after Abdulla al Harmoudi's mount Klinger was vetted out at the end of the third loop. "I have ridden this horse a few times before and was winning a race for the first time. It is indeed a pretty good feeling.

"It was a bit tough in the first two loops but it all worked out well from there onwards. I was confident of winning from the third loop onwards" he added. [e-mail]