Sheikh Mansour Festival makes debut in Brazil

It will be a historic stop for the HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival when Brazil plays host to the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) at the Sao Paolo Racecourse on Monday.

The Festival's debut in Latin America also gives a final chance to ten apprentice jockeys to book a spot in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Apprentice World Championship (IFAHR) final which will be held in Abu Dhabi on November 8, 2015.

Ten horses have been declared for 1400 meter contest on turf. Heading the weights is Zinia VE under Brazilian jockey William Duarte while the mount of the other Brazilian apprentice Everton Pereira is Nadia Air. RG Kreta under German lady jockey Sandra Eichenhofer, Kitsy Icaza from the Ecuador partners Kazan RB, Peruvian lady Elena Pomahuallca rides the hot favourite Mantineu Rach, Rob Homby from UK holds the reins of Tufiq, Chilean rider Benjamin Sancho will be on Heron HVP while Istvan Rach will be ridden by South Korean Jeon Deokyong and the Argentinean apprentice Nicolas Villalba rides Rhondda Rach.

The following eight Apprentice jockeys have already booked a berth in the final - Australia's Ben Thompson; Belgium's Zoe Vande Velde; Puerto Rico's Jomar Torres Roman; Italian Andrea Fele; Irishman Ian Queally; Canada's Brandon Duchaine; Russian Emil Kunakbaev and Isis Magnin of France.

"We thank His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the UAE, Chairperson of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation and Chairwoman of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and Mother of the World, for giving the Apprentice jockeys this opportunity to race in Brazil," said Lara Sawaya , Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the IFHRA and Chairperson of the Ladies and Apprentice Racing Committees in the Internatonal Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities.