A beautiful night in Abu Dhabi played host to a sensational card of horse racing Dec. 6 as the Abu Dhabi Turf Club hosted the 33rd UAE President Cup under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
A lively crowd filed into the facility as the sun began to set on the United Arab Emirates, with cultural music and dance, exquisite food, and beautiful fashion turning the track's featured race day into a top destination.
The credentials of the day were further boosted by the featured race for Arabian Purebreds as National Stables' HM Alchahine returned home from his group 1 ventures in France to give a dazzling display of dominance for trainers Helal and Tahnon Alalawi. Jockey Cristian Demuro saluted the crowd across the wire of the major group 1 event and returned to the grandstand to a roaring ovation; Abu Dhabi celebrating their hometown legend as he improved his local record to 8-for-8.
Meanwhile the day's featured race for Thoroughbreds, the HH The President Cup, provided the thrill factor one race earlier as an impressive stretch run by Dark Trooper prevailed in a nail-biter of a finish.
Drawn wide in barrier 15, jockey Christophe Soumillon decided to drop out the back of the field and settle at the rear for the 1,400-meter (about 7-furlong) event. Needing to steady on several occasions and still with no horses passed turning for home, Soumillon managed to punch through toward the rail. The 5-year-old Dark Angel gelding responded and finished with a flurry.
Meanwhile, his Wathnan Racing stablemate Make Me King had found himself in the lead late as he sought his second straight win in the race. The 2024 runner-up, Marbaan, was coming at him from the outside in what looked like a classic rematch. Yet, they would be denied as Dark Trooper surged in the final 50 meters and claimed the winner's share of the AED 1 million (approx. US$272,294) prize.
Dark Trooper completed the distance in 1:21.89 and won officially by 0.56 lengths. Marbaan was again runner-up, beating Make Me King by 0.13 lengths.
Soumillon praised his horse’s effort as a "totally unbelievable performance." That praise was echoed postrace by track announcer Pat Comerford, who noted the rarity of a horse in Dark Trooper’s early position earning victory over the course, especially at 7 furlongs.
"He was going very well but we needed a gap, we were still held up right until the last furlong," Soumillon said. "When he got out at about the 100 meters he was so strong.
"At that distance to change his line a couple of times and to win was very special, and hands and heels I didn't even need to give him a slap really. He came through strong and won easy in the end."
Bred in Ireland by Yeomanstown Stud, Dark Trooper was exiting a domestic group 3 win in Qatar. Trainer Alban de Mieulle said the horse has always exhibited talent, and that Saturday's effort may have proven he's at his best traveling 7 furlongs.
"We were so happy to win this race, especially in Abu Dhabi," he said.
The Thoroughbred calendar at Abu Dhabi has seen growth in recent years, with this year's President Cup being the second held with AED 1 million purse. Additionally, the Abu Dhabi Turf Club will host the inaugural Abu Dhabi Gold Cup for US$1 million Feb. 7.
De Mieulle said he was not sure if he'd run Dark Trooper in the 1-mile Gold Cup or instead race him at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, but said that the increase in Thoroughbred options in Abu Dhabi has proved beneficial for trainers in the region.
"Everywhere in the world, you have Thoroughbred racing," he said. "Of course, it is nice to have a championship for Pure Arabians in Abu Dhabi, but it means we'll get better and better Thoroughbreds. And Dubai is not far away from here. They can bring very good horses."
It was a very good day for Wathnan Racing, which is headed by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. In addition to finishing first and third in the Thoroughbred feature, they also picked up an Arabian Purebred stakes triumph with Haseef in the Abu Dhabi Derby.
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