VG Raj Al Mared achieved another memorable victory for Haras Bluegrass at Cidade Jardim Racetrack by winning the Grand Prix Wathba Stallions Cup for Colts II, sponsored by HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Horse Racing Festival.
The Grand Prix Wathba Stallions Cup for Colts II (1,600 meters on turf) is the second leg of the Arabian Horse Triple Crown 2023 and had the participation of the best performing and rated Arabian horses in Latin America.
Mared Al Sahra 5-year-old son Mared Al Sahra won by six lengths from his half-brother Clapton AJR to cement himself as the best horse of the season by claiming his seventh victory in eight races.
VG Raj Al Mared (Mared Al Sahra x Daughter of Just HVP by *FA El Shawan) is trained by Thiago Haidar for Haras Bluegrass and was ridden with great balance and skill by his official partner, Jeane Alves, two-time champion of Jockey Club statistics of São Paulo and the first woman to win the São Paulo Grand Prix, the main race in the state.
The duo won the first race contested over a mile on turf and second victory in the Grand Prix Wathba Stallions Cup for Colts II, as they won the first on May 13th with two lengths of advantage over Clapton AJR (Mared Al Sahra x Cowboys Gal by Wiking).
With an easy gallop to gain distance, without straining, his breathing seems unalterable after the races, VG Raj Al Mared is extremely intelligent and tame and has become an idol among racing lovers, in addition to being confirmed to be a longer distance horse; than 2000 meters.
“VG Raj Al Mared is an extremely special horse for our family because he represents the 30 years of breeding at Haras Bluegrass, mainly because he is in the Jockey Club of São Paulo (JCSP) where our story began. My father, José Carlos Vaz Guimarães, passionate about horses, especially Arabians and English thoroughbreds (breeds that he operates professionally), made our life from the JCSP. And Raj, for being the ace that he is, represents all of our creation.”
“Once again VG Raj Al Mared could not be in better hands. Our thanks to the trainer Thiago Haidar, the veterinarian Henrique Garcia, the jockey Jeane Alves and Erinaldo who takes care of Raj with all the affection in his day to day. All work is thought out and calculated with a single objective and this makes us successful in the races in which VG Raj Al Mared competes. And we couldn’t be happier and more fulfilled with this team.”
“In this race, Jeane Alves did not need to demand more from the horse at any time and won by six lengths ahead, which shows that we are on the right path”, declared José Caio Vaz Guimarães, from Haras Bluegrass.
Trainer Thiago Haidar said: “I want to thank Haras Bluegrass for the confidence in training VG Raj Al Mared; and he once more showed his superiority. Congratulations to Jeane Alves for the excellent driving. Raj is not undefeated today because the second race was very close to the first and as he was an animal that was debuting, that competed with animals of several victories and more experienced. He showed an excellent evolution and as the distances increased he showed his full potential. We are very happy with this victory, the seventh of his curriculum and the first of the Triple Crown”
“Today was an easy race; we started at the front and held on. I didn’t have to demand anything from him. I’ve ridden the VG Raj Al Mared since his first race and I’ve noticed the longer the distance the more he likes it and comes easier. He’s a crack and I’m in love with my ‘Branquinho’ (‘Little White’ it’s his affectionate name),” commented Jeane Alves.
Clapton AJR, bred and owned by Almir José Ribeiro and trained by Oberdan S. Pereira, was masterfully driven by Antonio Mesquita who fought from the start to reach VG Raj Al Mared crossed in second place.
Trained by Lucas Quintana and with six victories in Cidade Jardim, Mahatma Rach (*Sarmata x Magic All Rach by Ulisses Rach) was ridden once more by Jeffecleone Bispo and finished in third place; an honorable position in his farewell race at the Jockey Club of São Paulo.
“Mahatma Rach will follow new directions. He has shown in his participation in the races that he has the potential to pursue another sport, equestrian endurance. The great advantage of the Arabian horse is this: continuity in the sport”, told us the breeder and owner Ricardo Jamil Saliba, from Rach Stud Agropecuária Ltda.
Obstinado Rach, RG El Bak and Versado Rach finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Normandy Rach takes third consecutive win
Normandia Rach (*Uzbek Du Lion x Novella Rach by Voltaire Rach) claimed her third consecutive victory by finishing first in the Grand Prix Wathba Stallions Cup for Fillies II and the first leg of the Arabian Horse Triple Crown 2023 for fillies.
From the start to the final 400 meters, what we saw was a fierce battle for first place between RG Era (RG Karat x RG Kasta by *Sarmata) led by Robson Nunes and RG Kalifa (Cáceres CSM x Caldas CSM by Pavel Rach) under the mount of Michael Silva, both trained by Estanislau Petrochinski, when Normandia Rach under the impeccable command of Ruberlei Viana attacks from the outside and disputes the race with the two fillies.
In the final 150 meters, a tight fight between Normandia Rach, on the outside, and RG Kalifa, on the inside, leaving the other competitors behind, with victory for the first with a ¾ length advantage over the second.
In this way, Normandia Rach conquers her third consecutive victory and second victory of the GP Wathba Stallions Cup for Fillies, since she won the first race on May 13.
“We are very happy for Normandia Rach’s victory in a much disputed race with RG Kalifa attacking all the way in an exceptional way. Kalifa is Pavel Rach’s granddaughter; our breeding animal. A very balanced race worthy of a grand prix with Normandia improving with each race and with a bright future”, declared Ricardo Jamil Saliba from Rach Stud Agropecuária Ltda.
Naizza Rach (Feitizzo Rach x La Nouba Endurance by *Saad Ibn Syed) who was driven by Idevaldo Silva was third followed by RG Era and Vivina Rach.
Trainer Lucas Quintana said: “Normandia Rach has confirmed the expectations we have of her and she improves with each race. Due to having a greater distance than the previous one, the race was much disputed, mainly because both RG Era and RG Kalifa are mares that grow as the distances increase.”
For the jockey Ruberlei Viana “it was an exceptional race with very strong competition. I felt that Normandia Rach was able to fight for the victory in the final meters, because she had a lot of desire to run.”
Almir José Ribeiro, racing director of the Arabian Horse Breeders Brazilian Association stated: “First I would like to thank the organization of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Horse Racing Festival for the trust in another year of promotion, investment and dedication in promoting the Arabian horse racing in Brazil.”
“Our deep and sincere thanks to HH Sh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of the Presidential Court and Chairman of the Emirates Racing Authority for his visionary insight into the future of Arabian horse racing in the world and especially the dedication and affection that Lara Sawaya, Festival Director, has for Brazil and for the breeders of the Brazilian Arabian horse.”
In addition to the awards during the races, all horses participating in the 2023 Racing Calendar also compete in the Arabian Cup 2023 Arabian Cup Race category promoted by the Arabian Horse Breeders Brazilian Association.
The Grand Prix Wathba Stallions Cup for Fillies II and Colts II were organized by the Arabian Horse Breeders Brazilian Association in partnership with the Jockey Club of São Paulo.
The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Horse Racing Festival is sustained by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism coordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, with National Feed as strategic partner, The National Library & Archives as the official partner , MUBADALA as the official partner ,Emirates Airline as the official carrier, Etisalat as official sponsor & sponsored by Al Massood Automobiles Nissan, Areej Alameerat, Omeir Travels Agency, YAS Sports TV, Viola Communications, the UAE’s General Women’s Union , Emirates International Endurance Village, Emirates Arabian Horse Society & Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
GRANDE PRÊMIO WATHBA STALLIONS CUP FOR FILLIES II
1 NORMANDIA RACH (*Uzbek Du Lion x Novella Rach by Voltaire Rach)
J: Ruberlei Viana
T: Lucas Quintana
O: Agropecuária Ilha da Chapada Ltda.
B: Rach Stud Agropecuária Ltda.
2 RG KALIFA (Cáceres CSM x Caldas CSM by Pavel Rach)
J: Michael Silva
T: Estanislau Petrochinski
B/O: Claudio Roberto Guimarães Ribas
3 NAIZZA RACH (Feitizzo Rach e La Nouba Endurance by *Saad Ibn Syed)
J: Idevaldo Silva
T: Lucas Quintana
O: Ricardo Jamil Saliba
B: Rach Stud Agropecuária Ltda.
4 RG ERA (RG Karat x RG Kasta by *Sarmata)
J: R Nunes
T: Estanislau Petrochinski
B/O: Claudio Roberto Guimarães Ribas
5 VIVINA RACH (Bismarck Rach x Vaneska Rach by Mister Eros HX)
J: Jeffecleone Bispo
T: Lucas Quintana
O: Ricardo Jamil Saliba
B: Rach Stud Agropecuária Ltda.
GRANDE PRÊMIO WATHBA STALLIONS CUP FOR COLTS III
1 VG RAJ AL MARED (Mared Al Sahra x Daughter of Just HVP by *FA El Shawan)
J: Jeane Alves
T: Thiago Haidar
B/O: Haras Bluegrass / José Carlos Vaz Guimarães
2 CLAPTON AJR (Mared Al Sahra x Cowboys Gal by Wiking)
J: Antonio Mesquita
T: Oberdan S. Pereira
B/O: Almir José Ribeiro
3 MAHATMA RACH (*Sarmata x Magic All Rach by Ulisses Rach)
J: Jeffecleone Bispo
T: Lucas Quintana
O: Ricardo Jamil Saliba
B: Rach Stud Agropecuária Ltda.
4 OBSTINADO RACH (Atentaddo VE x Obsession Rach by Voltaire Rach)
J: Ruberlei Viana
T: Lucas Quintana
O: Agropecuária Ilha da Chapada Ltda.
B: Rach Stud Agropecuária Ltda.
5 RG EL BAK (RG Karat x *Endora by Wojslaw)
J: Idevaldo Silva
T: Estanislau Petrochinski
B/O: Claudio Roberto Guimarães Ribas
6 VERSADO RACH (Atentaddo VE x Vertente Rach by Vaillant Rach)
J: Osmar Pereira Filho
T: Alexandre Garcia
O: Stud Velho Quiproquo
B: Rach Stud Agropecuária Ltda.
