ABU DHABI // Tina Henriksson created racing history Sunday night when she won the first ever women's flat race to be run in the country.
The 25-year-old Swede steered Naseem Al Reef to victory in the inaugural Sheikha Fatima bin Mubarak Ladies IFAHR (International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing) Cup in Sunday night's opening meeting of the season at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
And her triumph completed an opening night hat-trick for Eric Lemartinel, the trainer.
Henriksson produced a late run on the UAE-bred five-year-old son of Nez D'Or, the winner of the 2000 Dubai Kahayla Classic, to win by more than a length from Jazeerat Alsadyaat under the Italian Elisabetta Marcialis.
Shathra Al Hajjaj, the Emirati rider, was seventh on Baher, Lemartinel's second entry, in the 11-runner field.
The Frenchman got his campaign up and running in the third race when Gerald Avranche steered Mooser to victory. The same jockey-trainer combination then won the penultimate contest as Albar Lotois lived up to his top billing to win the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Prestige Cup, the featured race of the six-race card.
Ali Rashid Al Raihe, the UAE champion trainer, got off the mark with Mutual Force, one of his three runners in the solitary race for the thoroughbreds, a handicap rated 65 to 85 run over the mile trip.
Ridden by Saeed Al Mazrooei, the Emirati apprentice, the three-year-old bay colt held off Jamie Spencer's late challenge on Al Burkaan to win by a short head. Kingship Spirit, ridden by Carlos Sanchez, was more than two lengths back in third.
"He is an improved horse and held on very gamely to win on his first start of the season," said Al Mazrooei, riding his fourth career win after spending the summer in South Africa where he also rode a winner. "I have ridden him last season when he was fat and lazy. Tonight, he jumped out well, I had him settled in the middle and when I asked him for an effort he moved to the front and I always thought he held on from the challenge."
Al Raihe said: "He was tried twice on the Tapetta at the Meydan Racecourse and he didn't like that surface. He is a turf horse and will be aimed at the races in Abu Dhabi. "We had three entered and expected one of them to have a chance, and Saeed did a good job. He rode an excellent race."
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THE WINNERS
Race 1 – 1,300m – Purebred Arabians – Turf
Winner: Kalahari Desert
Jockey: Patrick Cosgrave
Trainer: Ernst Oertel
Race 2 – 1,300m – Purebreds – Turf
Winner: Um Dormane
Jockey: Carlos Sandoval
Trainer: Mohammed Ali Al Ketbi
Race 3 – 1,400 – Purebreds – Turf
Winner: Mooser
Jockey: Gerald Avranche
Trainer: Eric Lemartinel
Race 4 – 1,600m – Thoroughbreds – Turf
Winner: Mutual Force
Jockey: Saeed Al Mazrooei
Trainer: Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Race 5 – 1,600m – Purebreds – Turf
Winner: Albar Lotois
Jockey: Gerald Avranche
Trainer: Eric Lemartinel
Race 6 – 1,600m – Purebreds – Turf
Winner: Naseem Al Reef
Jockey: Tina Henriksson
Trainer: Eric Lemartinel
