News From BELGIUM

The Arabian Horse Racing Club of Belgium

Ostend, Wellington racetrack, 15th of August 2002, at 2p.m.

For the past two years the races for Arab horses, organised at the request of the « U.A.E. Equestrian and Racing Federation », on behalf of H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al NAHYAN , president of the United Arab Emirates, took place during a Belgalop meeting around August the 15th . At those occasions two major races ( now both group III- races ) were run: the « ABU DHABI Championship » for the 3-year-olds and the « President of the U.A.E. Challenge Derby » for the 4-year-olds, with purses of more than 13.500 Euro en 16.000 Euro respectively. This year, for the first time, these two main races will be run on separate meetings, but on both occasion other races for Arab horses will be added to the racecard . One of the reasons for this was the will to draw a parallel between the equivalent races for Arabs and Thoroughbreds. Thus, on the 15th of June 2002, both Derby’s took place : for Arabs of 4-years old, whereas the Derby for Thoroughbreds is intended for the 3-year old horses). Similarly, on the 15th Augustus the race-card shows the prestigious Abu Dhabi Championship for 3-year-old Arabs, together with the “Criterion for the 2-year-old Thoroughbreds…Sure, you got the message….we want to highlight the difference in maturity of both breeds !! Another difference between the desert-horse and the Thoroughbred has also be kept in mind: the Thoroughbred has been selected for several centuries for racing over short distances and is by now a true “Sprinter“ (anaerobe efforts), while the Arab horse still has kept his physiology of the “Stayer” he was in the desert ( higher fraction of “slow” fibres in the composition of his muscles) . This is the reason why the length of the races for the “Drinkers of the Wind” should be far longer than those over which the Thoroughbred is at his best. Therefore a long race ( 3.700 m ) is included in the program of the 15th of August, to honour this characteristic of the true Arab. This race will also be the first international Handicap-race for Arab horses: the « H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan International Stayers Handicap ». Nevertheless the « ABU DHABI Championship » for 3-year-olds remains the major race of this international day with its purse of 13.500 Euro. This race is one leg of the Challenge-series of 6 races: Copenhagen DK, Duindigt Nl, Deauville Fr, Ostend B, Baden-Baden Ge and Newmarket GB. The horses starting in each leg of the Challenge receive points after their placing in each of the races. The prizes promised to the winners of both Challenges (one for the 3-year-olds and one for the 4-year-olds) are very impressive !! 100.000 $ to the owner of the winning horse, 15.000 $ for the trainer and the jockey of the winner , furthermore 50.000$ for the breeder of the winning steed….more than enough to motivate the whole racing community !! For the first time the Belgian race-enthusiast feel very concerned with this Challenge of the highest level: the first two legs of the Championship for 3-year-olds ( Copenhagen and Duindigt ) were won by the Belgian IRCALAN D.A., bred by Johan Verstrepen, for two years yet our « Breeder of the Year of Arab racehorses ». Ircalan D.A. is a son of Djel Bon, a French stallion , himself a son of Manganate, out of Alissah by Ibn Galchaadi. Alissah has already produced several race-champions, such as Khajura-San, Ganesh Ibn Kendal and Onado D.A. Alissah is for sure the best broodmare of Johan. Ircalan D.A. is born at the Dijckhoeve, where the stud of the Verstrepen-family is located, in Itegem. Our Belgian crack thus totalises yet 30 points after two starts in the Series, placing him 15 points ahead of his first rival…. Unfortunately start was refused to Ircalan recently in Deauville for a too recent vaccination !! As Johan Verstrepen is , apart from the owner, also the breeder and furthermore the trainer of Ircalan D.A., a total prize of 165.000 $ is associated for him with winning the Abu Dhabi Championship Challenge, ….enough to motivate Johan to enter everyone of the legs of this series !! On 15th of August in Ostend, Ircalan will probably be the preferred of the betting for the Abu Dhabi Championship. Thanks to the extreme generosity of His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates Equestrian and Racing Federation, it will be possible for all to come and encourage our national favourite in Ostend during these prestigious races for Arab horses, for free !!! Besides the Championship for 3-year-olds and the “H.H. Sheikh Zayed Al NAHYAN Stayers Handicap”, there is also the « UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation Sprint » for Arab horses and furthermore 5 races for Thoroughbred horses organised by Belgalop , among which one is also sponsored by the U.A.E. Equestrian and Racing Federation. There will also be some displays of various other equestrian applications with Arab horses … This race-day needs no recommendation with the normal racegoers, because they already experienced the quality of the “Emirates-days”, but will be an exceptional occasion for tourists and newcomers to admire the “Drinker of the Wind” in full action…. We hope to meet you on August the 15th, from 2 p.m. onwards at the Wellington-racetrack of Ostend ….Free admission and parking opon presentation of this press-release !!! Nelly Philippot, President Arabian Horse Racing Club of Belgium, tel./fax: +32 / 61 61 14 21 mob; +32 / 496.304.401 e-mail : moirmonay@swing.be

- , Posted on 15 August 2002