Al Rasha of Royal Cavalry wins first place at Bordeaux Racecourse in France
Ridden by jockey Michael Forest and under the supervision of trainer Elisabeth Bernard, Al Rasha decisively claimed victory in the race.
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Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Times of Oman
Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT secure fifth place in Gold Cup class at Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa
SPA (BELGIUM): Al-Faisal Al-Zubair, Jens Klingmann, Ben Tuck and Neil Verhagen picked up valuable points for finishing fifth in the Gold Cup category at the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium on Sunday. After qualifying their Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO down in ninth place for the flagship event in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup powered by AWS calendar third round, the quartet quickly made their way into the top five and held fourth place briefly on a few occasions on the demanding Spa-Francorchamps circuit. In front of a record crowd of over 128,000 people who witnessed the weekend's action, the Al-Manar Racing crew completed 546 laps but were just two short of the triumphant Racing Aston Martin and the second-placed Garage 59 McLaren that lost out on a potential victory with a tyre issue in the final hour. The CSA Racing McLaren finished third and the Wright Motorsport Porsche was fourth on the same lap as the Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW. The result keeps the team firmly in contention for the Drivers' and Teams' Championships. They now hold second in the Team's series and third in the Drivers' Championship. Al-Faisal Al-Zubair said: 'The race was not the greatest for us in terms of the result. But, the most important thing was that we did the best we could with the power they gave us with the BMW. 'We saw here that no BMW had the pace to fight for the win this year because of BOP (Balance of Performance). We got an extra 15 kilogrammes (weight penalty) after qualifying. I think that was unjust. I am happy that we finished the race and it is important to gain points for the championship, especially after six hours, 12 and 24. It's tough though after the success of winning last year. 'It wasn't easy. We drove well with no penalties and our averages were consistent. We had a bit of contact in the night but that was due to another driver. Luckily, the car was fine and we finished the race. It wasn't what we aimed for but you cannot win them all. We still have half the season remaining so we have plenty of time.' Klingmann took the wheel for the first session and started the race from ninth in the Gold Cup category. After three laps, the German had climbed to seventh with the Herberth Motorsport Porsche leading the way in the hands of Joel Sturm into the second hour after 24 laps. Tim Heinemann then took over the leading Porsche and Tuck replaced Klingmann in the Al-Manar Racing BMW but the team slipped back to ninth in the changeover. The crew managed to climb to fifth through the 4hr 30min hour mark but slipped back to seventh through 6hr 30min. During the night stint, after 10hr 30min, they had moved back up to fourth and then slipped back to fifth shortly after daybreak. They retained fifth through mid-morning With six hours remaining, Klingmann was again at the wheel and the Al-Manar Racing car was in fifth with the Racing Aston Martin leading the way. Klingmann climbed to fourth with 5hr 40min on the clock but Verhagen took over for the next stint and the team was back in fifth place with four hours left on the clock. The Garage 59 McLaren then snatched the lead. Tuck was give driving duties for the final session and the Briton safely brought the BMW to the finish in fifth place in the Gold Cup section. Thursday morning's free practice session was the Garage 59 McLaren card the quickest lap of 2min 17.422sec to get the better of the Herberth Motorsport Porsche and the Team RJN McLaren. A dozen Gold Cup crews took part in the session and Al-Manar Racing's Verhagen topped the times in the BMW with a lap of 2min 19.042sec. Team RJN's Ben Dörr topped the times in Q1 with a run of 2min 25.102sec, as Al-Zubair slotted into fourth behind Paul Motorsport and Garage 59. The Garage 59 McLaren topped the Q2 times in the hands of Frederik Schandorff and Verhagen was third quickest behind the Tresor Attempto Racing Audi. The Garage 59 machine again topped the standings in Q3 in the hands of Dean Macdonald and Ben Tuck was down in fifth place in the Al-Manar Racing BMW. Louis Prette was again on top for the Garage 59 crew in Q4 but Klingmann was down in 11th position in the Al-Manar Racing BMW. With all the times combined, pole position went to the Racing Aston Martin from the two Porsches of Herberth Motorsport and Wright Motorsports. Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT qualified in ninth position. The Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW returns to action at Misano for the next round of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup on July 18th-20th. TEAMS – latest Gold Cup standings 1. Racing 91pts 2. Al-Manar Racing by Team WRT 69pts 3. CSA Racing 66pts 4. Garage 59 33pts 5. Optimum Motorsport 30pts 6. Tresor Attempto Racing 29pts 6. Paul Motorsport 29pts 8. Team RJN 26pts, etc DRIVERS – latest Gold Cup standings 1. Lulham/Vermeulen/King 91pts 2. Rougier/Gachet/Kell 66pts 3. Al-Zubair/Klingmann/Tuck 65pts 4. Pla 33pts 5. Prett/Smalley/Macdonald 31pts, etc
Observer
23-06-2025
- Observer
‘Al Marjanah' shines in Toulouse with runner-up finish
MUSCAT: The Royal Court Affairs, represented by the Royal Cavalry continued to showcase their excellence on the international stage, as their purebred Arabian mare 'Al Marjanah' secured a commendable second place in the sixth race held at the Toulouse Racecourse in France. The 2,100-metre race, which took place on Sunday evening, featured top-tier contenders from prestigious stables across Europe and the Gulf region. 'Al Marjanah' ridden by jockey Michael Forest and trained by the seasoned French trainer Élisabeth Bernard, delivered a strong performance and remained competitive throughout the race. 'Al Marjanah' claimed the runner-up position behind 'Makhzoom Al Shahania', owned by HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Thani, trained by Rohit, and ridden by Jean Bernard. While third place went to 'Majaz', owned by Al Shaqab Racing and ridden by Alexandre Gavilan. The Toulouse race attracted entries from several countries, including Oman, Qatar, France and Spain, reflecting the growing prominence of Arabian horse racing in Europe. The event was marked by high-level competition and tactical brilliance from jockeys and trainers alike, affirming the international stature of the racecourse and its importance as a platform for elite-level racing. This latest success adds to a series of notable achievements by the Royal Cavalry in France. Where recently the mare 'Al Rasha' clinched first place in the eighth race over 1,600 metres at Bordeaux Racecourse, also under the guidance of Michael Forest and trainer Élisabeth Bernard. Similarly, Royal Cavalry's horse 'Al Ghanim' triumphed in the seventh race at Montauban Racecourse, covering a distance of 2,250 metres. The victory was secured under jockey Sami Lecoleus, with training again led by Bernard. These accomplishments underscore the Royal Cavalry's growing competitiveness in European circuits and highlight Oman's strategic investment in showcasing its equestrian heritage on the global stage. Through disciplined training, expert handling, and selective international participation, the Royal Cavalry continues to raise the profile of Omani purebred Arabian horses in premier racing events.
Times of Oman
21-06-2025
- Times of Oman
Royal Cavalry riders qualify for World Endurance Championship
Paris: Horse riders Saleh bin Salim Al Balushi and Hussain bin Ali Al Farsi from the Royal Cavalry (RC) have qualified for the World Endurance Championship 2026, scheduled in Al Ula City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two riders have qualified in the competition at the French Compiegne Horse -racing organised by the World Equestrian Federation for 160 kilometres. The race saw tough competitions and a wide participation of horse riders from different countries competing in six stages; the first for 32 kilometres, the second for 30 kilometres, the third for 28 kilometres, the fourth for 21 kilometres, the fifth for 28 kilometres and the sixth for 21 kilometres. Earlier two other horse riders; Mahmoud Al Foori and Hisham Al Farsi from the Royal Cavalry, have qualified for the upcoming World Endurance Championship, bringing the total number of RC horse riders qualifying for the World Endurance Championship 2026.
