Zells Kate, Rhondo Rach win at Wathba Stallions Cup Festival

Ridden by Jeane Alves, one of the top lady jockeys in Brazil, Zells Kate came up with a record-breaking run to win the Grand Prix Mahabb (Group 3)-Wathba Stallions Cup at Hipódromo de Cidade Jardim in Sao Paulo on Saturday.

The Grand Prix Mahabb (Group 3) was one of the three races held under the umbrella of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and part of the Wathba Stallions Cup Festival.

The first three races on the card comprised of the Wathba Stallion Cup Festival and open to Purebred Arabian horses.

Alves, who has also won a leg of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship race in the past, did very well to steer the Almir Jose Ribeiro-owned Zells Kate to a superb win in a new record time of 1 minute 36.17 seconds for the 1400-metre (7 furlongs) distance. The winning mare is trained Alexandre Garcia Saldanha Correa.

Earlier the meeting opened with the Special Prize Quazar-Wathba Stallion Cup over 1000 metres and seven horses were in the fray. The Thiago Haidar-trained Fada HVP was steered home to victory by Apprentice jockey Andre R Oliveira for owner Andre Lahoz Mendonca de Barros.

In the feature event of the Wathba Stallions Festival, eight top horses contested the Grade 3 GP Munjiz-Wathba Stallion Cup.

Rhondo Rach, trained by Lucas Quintana, stormed home under jockey Ricardo Saliba to win the 1400-metre turf contest.

Almir Jose Ribeiro was delighted with Zells Kate's record run under Alves. "It is a great day for Arabian racing here in Brazil. We thank the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival for their support and helping in the progress of Arabian racing," he said.

Source: Khaleej Times