Romeo AT Claims UAE President’s Cup Glory at Doncaster
Romeo AT has delivered a major international victory for Wathnan Racing, winning the latest leg of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses at Britain’s historic Doncaster Racecourse. The four-year-old colt secured his first Group 1 success in front of a crowd exceeding 50,000 spectators during the St Leger Festival.
The Doncaster contest formed the 13th leg of the 33rd edition of the prestigious UAE series, continuing an international calendar designed to strengthen the presence of Purebred Arabian racing at some of the world’s leading racecourses. The 2026 series features 19 international stops and prize money exceeding AED20 million.
A Group 1 Breakthrough for Romeo AT
Owned by Wathnan Racing and trained by Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte, Romeo AT entered Doncaster having already established strong credentials among Europe’s leading young Arabian racehorses.
The colt had previously won the Group 3 Damas Prize and finished second in the Group 1 French Arabian Derby at Chantilly. At Doncaster, however, he went one better.
Ridden by jockey Tom Marquand, Romeo AT produced a decisive acceleration in the closing stages of the 2,000-metre turf contest. He crossed the finish line one and a half lengths ahead of Laffan, representing Al Wasmiyah Racing, recording a winning time of 2:18.05. French Arabian Derby winner Sab’aan Al Shahania finished third.
The victory also marked a second consecutive Doncaster triumph for Wathnan Racing following Libo de Carrere’s success in the 2025 edition. UAE President’s Cup – official WAM race report
Arabian Racing on an International Stage
The Doncaster event further underlined the increasingly international profile of the UAE President’s Cup. The race was staged alongside the historic St Leger Festival, which celebrated its 250th year in 2026, providing Arabian racing with exposure to one of Britain’s established racing audiences.
The wider championship has travelled through Europe, North America and other international racing markets throughout the season. Following Doncaster, the published 2026 calendar includes further rounds in Poland, Syria, Libya and Egypt before the finale in Saudi Arabia on 20 November.
That international strategy also extends beyond the current season. Earlier this week, the Higher Organising Committee signed an agreement with Germany’s historic Hoppegarten Racecourse, which will host the German leg beginning in 2027.
Continuing the UAE’s Arabian Horse Legacy
For Al Badia readers, Romeo AT’s Doncaster victory represents more than an individual racing result. It is another chapter in a championship built around the Purebred Arabian horse and its international development.
From the UAE to some of Europe’s most historic racecourses, the series continues to connect modern competition with the Arabian horse’s enduring cultural and sporting heritage.
For more Arabian horse, equestrian and UAE racing news, visit Al Badia Magazine
