The UK Arabian Racing Organisation is looking forward to an exciting few weeks of races sponsored by their 2012 Associate Sponsor The Royal Cavalry 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 as a sponsor, owner and breeder has grown considerably over the past few years. Based on the outskirts of Oman’s capital, Muscat and in the Royal County of Berkshire, 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.

Throughout the year ARO has run a qualifying series of handicap races sponsored by The Royal Cavalry, culminating in a Premier Handicap Final to be held this Saturday (18th August) at Newbury Racecourse. This fixture is Newbury’s annual Ladies’ Day and is the busiest of their racing calendar. Tickets for the 2012 renewal sold out weeks in advance and racegoers hoping to attend and see this race will now have to join a waiting list.

The entries suggest it will be a very competitive race with the Julian Smart trained, Group 1 winner, Harran leading the weights. He is challenged by a trio of runners from the Sponsors stable, the pick of which are Scyphios who came very close to Harran at Huntingdon last time out and Mudalal, last year’s impressive winner. Champion Trainer Gill Duffield has a strong hand with the Dutch horse Sadiq and Moshahed who represents HH Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. Feisty handicappers Ambrose and Hidalgo are also in with a fighting chance off their low weights.

The following Saturday is one of ARO’s most popular racedays - The Royal Cavalry of Oman Arabian Raceday, which this year is being held at Nottingham Racecourse. The race programme consists of 8 races, 6 of which are for Purebred Arabian horses. The races will showcase a fantastic range of Arabian Racing talent, including top Group 1 horses and locally bred Arabians. A fantastic opportunity to get up close to the action!

A traditional Bedouin tent will offer members of the public the chance to experience the culture of the beautiful Sultanate of Oman, taste the coffee and hear the music whilst watching the horses in the paddock.

A new feature of the Arabian Racing Organisation in 2012 is the ‘Kids Club’ and younger racegoers at The Royal Cavalry of Oman raceday at Nottingham will have a chance to meet the club horse. Notid is by the French stallion Tidjani, out of the American Mare Sherrie Noreen, and will be lining up in an attempt to score his 7th career victory.

September 5th sees the last Group race of the UK season before Dubai International Arabian Raceday. The Royal Cavalry of Oman Clarendon International Stakes (Group 3 PA) features some of the best sprinters competing in a frantic dash over 5 furlongs at Bath Racecourse. Won last year by the one-eyed wonder Aziz, this could well include some exciting International runners looking to challenge the Julian Smart trained horse and possibly complete the Sprinting double by returning to Newbury Racecourse for the Zaabeel International Stakes on Dubai Day.

The Arabian Racing Organisation is incredibly grateful to The Royal Cavalry of Oman for their ongoing support of Arabian Racing in the UK. As Associate Sponsor there have been at least two Oman sponsored races at every one of ARO’s fixtures this season. Sponsored races have included Maidens, Handicaps and Conditions ensuring that a wide variety of Owners, Trainers and Jockeys have received the Royal Cavalry of Oman’s stunning silver trophies.

Highlights of their sponsored races this season have included two incredibly close Maiden races at the first meeting of the year. Both were won by Gill Duffield with runners owned by Sheikh Hamdan but strangely it is one of the runners up on that day that looks a particularly promising horse, Azwa is entered in a strong Conditions race at Nottingham and could be one to watch out for.

Later highlights include the stunning ride by Rachel King onboard the hardy handicapper Syrah Gris, owned by The Almost All Partnership and trained by Adam Newey. This is not an easy horse to ride to victory but was driven out to beat the Omani owned and bred Andaleeb in the final furlong.

All results and reviews of the season so far, including all The Royal Cavalry of Oman races can be found at http://www.aroracing.co.uk/racing_news/racing_data.html