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| Staff Writer |
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The HH, The President Cup, has an increased prize fund of AED4.5 million this year, making the race just as prestigious as other Arabian contests in the Gulf during February. With Mujeeb gone, the race is ripe for a new champion. Here's a rundown of the contenders set to race at Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening.
He finished fifth in this race last year, but went on to win the Gr.1 Emirates Championship. Although he underperformed in the Jewel Crown, he is the highest-rated contender and is expected to be among the top finishers.
The only European challenger in the race, he hails from a highly respected stable and has some strong form under his belt, including a third-place finish in a Group one at Chantilly. He finished fourth in the Qatar Arabian Derby to prepare for this race and should be a contender.
He has improved a lot in a short time, finishing second in a Meydan Group 1. If he repeats that form, he could be in the running. However, he has yet to prove himself on turf.
He won at Abu Dhabi earlier this season and finished fourth in the prep race behind Hameem. He'll need to improve to challenge the top contenders.
This ex-French horse has had a good start in the UAE, winning a maiden on his reappearance and a Listed race at Al Ain. He hasn't performed well in his two starts at Meydan, but has more potential than those races suggest.
He won the Jewel Crown at his peak but hasn't performed as well recently. However, he has only had two starts under his current trainer and could bounce back.
He won the prep race for this and has ten wins out of 20 starts in his career. Although some of his competitors were penalized in the prep race, he still has a good chance to finish in the top spots.
He was disqualified after a good run in the Jewel Crown prep but won the Gr.3 National Day Cup on the same card. He has won over this distance and could be a strong contender.
He finished fourth in this race last year but hasn't performed as well this season. He'll need to improve to challenge the top horses.
This Omani horse usually runs better on dirt, but has performed well in the Maktoum Challenge. He won in Oman recently, but how he'll perform on this surface remains to be seen.
He has had some good runs in pattern company and won the Al Ain Mile last season. However, he has struggled in stronger races this season and may not be a top contender.
Although he hasn't won in a while and is getting older, he finished seventh in the Jewel Crown this season and could perform well if the conditions suit him.
He was the best of his generation last season and has performed well this season despite not winning. He should perform better without the Gr.3 penalty and could challenge for the top spot.
Although he can lose his race beforehand, he won a conditions race at Al Ain without needing to improve. However, he'll have a tougher time in this race.
The lowest-rated contender, he finished fifth in a handicap race off a mark of 100 last time and has a lot to prove to challenge the top horses.
She has won four out of six races so far, but those wins came in weaker company in the UK and Belgium. She was not too far behind in her last race, but it's unlikely she'll challenge for the top spots in this race.