Al Bastaki is champion of the 2026 Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup

DUBAI, 1st April / WAM / Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmuk Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dubai Equestrian Club, crowned the jockey Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Bastaki as champion of the 18th edition of the 120-kilometre race of His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai Endurance Cup 2026, at the conclusion of the His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai Endurance Festival, which was held today at the Dubai International Endurance City in Saih Al Salam, with the participation of 136 male and female riders.

Al Bastaki, riding the horse Beaulieu Charles, from MRM Stables, won the title after finishing the race with a time of 4:23:28 hours, as he imposed his control over the course of the competition during the third (penultimate) stage, and maintained the lead until the finish line, achieving victory by a margin of 29 seconds.

The French jockey Lea Vandekerkhove from F3 Stables came in second place on the horse “A Bandeau’s Moon Shadow” with a time of 4:23:57 hours, while the jockey Muhammad Adel Al Hosani from the Al-Reef Ajban Stables came in third place on the horse “SC Bonito” with a time of 4:24:16 hours.

Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmouk Al Maktoum crowned the winners, in the presence of Ahmed Rashid Al Kaabi, General Manager of the Dubai Equestrian Club, and Ahmed Saeed Al Falasi, Director of Partnerships and Strategic Relations at Emaar, the official sponsor of the race.

The festival concluded with this race its competitions, which included 4 races, starting with the women’s race, followed by the Al-Yamama Cup for mares, then the private stables race, all the way to the main concluding race.

Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmuk Al Maktoum stressed that the success of His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai Endurance Festival is an extension of the successes of the horse racing season, and comes after the distinguished organization witnessed by the Dubai World Cup race, which reflects the amount of support that equestrian sports enjoy from the wise leadership.

He said in statements to the Emirates News Agency “WAM”: The Dubai World Cup witnessed the participation of the elite horses in the world, amid wide satisfaction from owners, trainers, riders and the public, noting that the evening was characterized by high technical and organizational levels, before the successes continued through the His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai Endurance Festival, which extended for several days and witnessed a qualitative presence of the best horses.

He praised the efforts of the organizing committee for endurance races, appreciating the organizational work that contributed to the festival’s exit in an honorable manner and achieving positive results at various levels, stressing that work will continue to present a more advanced version in the next season, while making sure to benefit from the comments and suggestions, in a way that supports the development process and enhances the status of endurance races in the country.

Jockey Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Bastaki expressed his happiness at winning the title, pointing out that the victory is the fulfillment of a dream he has had since childhood, and represents an important milestone in his sporting career.

He explained that the race was difficult as the ground was affected by rain, but the horse gave an outstanding performance and was up to the challenge, which contributed to winning the title. He expressed his aspiration to continue achieving positive results during the coming period, and to strive to win the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup.

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