Thirteen maiden horses went under the starter’s orders to battle it out to the wire in the race which carried €8,500 in prize-money plus a bonus of €1,000 for the winning breeder.

The six-year-old mare by Dormane was always going well behind the leading pair and got up brilliantly when asked the question by the Irishman to do the better work ahead of hot favourite Zaaqya under Tadhg O’Shea. Altessse Kossak, S. Harrison in the saddle, got up late to take third place honours.

The winner covered the distance in 2:25:42 minutes to lead by one length and a half on the line.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, First Secretary at the UAE Embassy in London said: “The support of His Highness the President Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and their Highnesses the Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates represents a true boost for the UAE sports in general and the equestrian discipline in particular which enhances the strong presence of the UAE at all international arenas.”

“The staging of such successful worldwide events promotes the UAE ties and serves the bilateral relationships between UAE and UK which exceeds the political and economical links to include the cultural and sports connections with all categories of the two societies,” he added.

Lara Sawaya, director of the Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival and head of IFAHR ladies racing said: “Under the directives of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, to host the eighth round of The Wathba Cup in support of small owners and breeders, we have seen top quality horses from around the continent in the 13-horse line up.

“And building on this success, it has been decided to add one more race of The Wathba Stud Cup series in 2013 in GB to continue the festival’s support to small owners and breeders.

This is in addition to the HH Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship IFAHR,” she said.

Adnan Sultan, director general of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club said: “The eighth round of The Wathba Cup underlined the great success of the Arabian races in GB and the quality line up of 13 runners indicates the rising trend successful staging of such events.”

The Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival is organised to promote purebred Arabians in different parts of the world with the sponsors being the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by General Authority for Youth and Sports and Fegentri with Emirates airlines as the official carrier and sponsored by Invest AD, Al Rashid Investment, Areej Al Ameerat, Mauzan, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, the UAE’s General Women’s Union,  the Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2012, Wathba Stud Farm and Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club