Today's Edition
DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
The 19th Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Festival got under way at Dubai International Endurance City in Seih Al Salam on Tuesday with M7 Endurance Stables rider Milena Mendez dominating the meeting’s opening event, for ladies.
Argentina’s Mendez is no stranger to the UAE sands and her experience in the saddle of Goldstream (trained by Mohammed Al Subosi) showed as the pair overcame an early deficit to stamp their authority on the 120km four-loop ride.
Mendez and Goldstream registered an average speed of 27.51km/h to clock the best time of 4:21:45 and win with over three minutes and four seconds to spare ahead of second-placed M7 teammate and Emirati rider Shamma Darwish Alshihi, who rode SW Ikran (4:24.49). Finishing third was Sara Mohammed who rode ABH Endurance Stables’ Rushoz Lieutenant in 4:25:11.
Mendez finished with the eighth best time at the end of the first loop spanning 40km, a stage that saw Maryam Ahmad Al Tamimi seize the initiative on the back of Zabeel Stables’ Castlebar Shindagha.
Al Tamimi and her mount lost ground, slipping one spot on the leaderboard to second as Mendez and Goldstream snatched the summit and stayed rooted throughout, giving the rest of the competition no chance as they extended their lead to finish well ahead.
Mendez’s teammate Alshihi and her partner SW Ikran did well to finish second after finding themselves 28th at the end of the first loop. They moved up five spots during the second loop spanning 35km and were up to ninth at the end of the third loop over 25km. Alshihi pushed her mount further to eventually take second place on the podium.
Third-placed pair Sara and Rushoz Lieutenant started at sixth, dropped to 13th and moved up to seventh before settling for the final podium spot.
