DUBAI — Mystical reproduced a true image of India and Indian magic by winning his second race at the 2007 Dubai International Racing Carnival, Al Tayer Motors Maserati Plate here over 2000 metres on turf under Ryan Moore.

"It was a victory for the Indian breeding and racing industry, it is a victory for India," said the leading horse breeder and owner Zavaray Poonawalla, the Godfather of the famous Poonawalla family, who are the driving force behind Indian racing.

 His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, greeted the jubilant Indian connections amid more electric senses that have been shared by the big crowd around the place.

"It is my vision when we have launched the Carnival to see more international horses taking place and winning," he said.

In the meantime, the Poonawalla family was given free covering for all their mares in any of the Darley studs around the world.

The generous gesture was highly appreciated by the members of the family who promised to increase their participation in the Dubai races and encourage more Indian owners to send international horses to what they described as great venue. Zavaray Poonawalla said: "This is just amazing. I have won eight Indian Derbies, and lost a lot more, but this means more than anything else. We have worked so hard to expose Indian horses to international competition, and now it's finally happened."

While an unusually vocal Moore said: "Never before have I seen Nad Al Sheba like this, except for the Dubai World Cup meeting. It's just buzzing and it was an absolute pleasure to ride the horse."

 

Megan Hirons/Gulf News

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum with Zavaray Poonawalla, owner of Indian horse Mystical at the Nad Al Sheba racecourse.

Indian horseracing gets major boost
By Leslie Wilson Jr, Staff Reporter


Dubai: The image of horseracing in India may be transformed forever following an extraordinary gesture by one of the sport's biggest patrons.

So impressed was His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with Indian champion Mystical's two consecutive wins in Dubai that he made the horse's connections a generous offer of covering a mare at any Darley Stud, free of cost.

Shaikh Mohammad owns Darley Stud, one of the world's leading thoroughbred breeding operations, which is based in the United States, Japan, Australia, and in Europe.

Indian Hall of Fame Award winner Zavaray Poonawalla, who bred and owns Mystical, was overwhelmed by Shaikh Mohammad's gesture and said: "The offer came to me as a very pleasant surprise. We have for long been in awe of His Highness, particularly as he has done so much to improve the standard of horse racing across the world, so to have received such a generous offer is very flattering. We are absolutely overjoyed and honoured."

Promise to pay back

Poonawalla, who heads Poonawalla Stud Farms, the leading Stud Farm in the India and the winner of several awards, said he would like to repay Shaikh Mohammad for his generosity.

"I will select our very best mare to be consigned to a Darley stallion and in appreciation for Shaikh Mohammad's benevolence, I promise to name the foal after Dubai," he said. "It's my way of saying 'thank you'.

"Shaikh Mohammad has for long encouraged us to come and compete in Dubai and to be able to make racing history in his presence added to the aura of Mystical's great victories.

Poonawalla, who disrupted a busy schedule back home in India, to attend the Dubai International Racing Carnival with his entire family, said: "This is just amazing. I have won eight Indian Derbies, and lost a lot more, but this means more than anything else.

"We have worked so hard to expose Indian horses to international competition, and now it's finally happened. This is a victory for the Indian breeding and racing industry.

Mystical became the first Indian-trainer winner to score overseas when setting Nad Al Sheba alight on February 15, and he repeated the feat with a thundering performance in the Maserati Plate under Ryan Moore last week.