ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Molfit was crowned champion of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses at its Turkish leg on Sunday at the Veliefendi Racecourse in Istanbul.
The race formed the twelfth leg of the 33rd edition of the series, staged under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.
Carrying the colours of Wathnan Racing, trained by François Rohaut and ridden by Faleh Nasser Bughenaim, Molfit (by Al Mourtajez out of Djezabel des Forges) produced a strong finish. He overtook the early leader Allie Saint Lon at the final turn and stayed clear to win by three lengths in a time of 1:43.36. It was the horse’s third career victory.
Allie Saint Lon took second place, followed by Azimli in third, Kahraman Oglu in fourth and Öztatmar in fifth.
Molfit joins the roll of winners of the Turkish leg, which began in 2024. Berkinin Kızı claimed the inaugural running, RB Mary Lylah won in 2025, and Molfit’s success gave Wathnan Racing the title for a second consecutive year. The meeting drew a crowd of around 15,000 spectators.
The race and prize-giving were attended by Saeed Thani Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Türkiye, and Faisal Al Rahmani, Secretary-General of the Higher Organising Committee (HOC), together with representatives of the Turkish Jockey Club and Veliefendi Racecourse management.
Musalam Al Amri, a member of the HOC, thanked His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed’s continuous support and said: “We are proud of the distinguished success of the Türkiye leg and the advanced competitive and technical standard the race demonstrated. We also extend our thanks to the Turkish Jockey Club and the management of Veliefendi Racecourse for their warm hospitality and the organisational efforts that helped deliver a leg befitting the standing and global reputation of the event.”