15 Horses Compete for the Title of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses in Libya
Matar Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri:
• ‘The Libya leg strengthens the reach of the Prestigious Cup’s journey and its goals in supporting Arabian horse owners and breeders’.
The Al Watan Shooting and Equestrian Club racecourse in the city of Benghazi hosts the seventeenth leg of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses tomorrow, Saturday 31 October, within the calendar of the 33rd edition of the Prestigious Cup, which records its presence in Libya for the second consecutive year.
The Cup series is staged with the support of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and his considerable commitment to developing the Arabian horse racing industry and supporting owners and breeders in countries around the world, encouraging them to acquire and breed the Arabian horse and to elevate its standing at the most important international racecourses and races.
The Libya leg forms part of the Third Libya Heritage Carnival, staged with a programme comprising 16 horse races, 10 on the first day and six on the second. The UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses race features 15 runners competing over 2,000 metres on dirt.
RACE DETAILS
| Date | Saturday, 31 October 2026 |
| Venue | Al Watan Shooting and Equestrian Club, Benghazi, Libya |
| Occasion | Third Libya Heritage Carnival, staged on 30 and 31 October |
| Carnival programme | 16 races in total, 10 on day one and 6 on day two |
| Distance | 2,000 metres (dirt) |
| Runners | 15 |
THE CONTENDERS
The list of participants brings together a distinguished group of elite Arabian horses, among them Hatem (by TM Fred Texas out of Haifa), Lord de Lardous (by Bon de Lardous out of Alfa de Lardous), Neptune Al Maury (by Jaafar ASF out of Nilka) and Adeeb Athbah (by No Risk Al Maury out of Burning Fancy).
The field is completed by Dari, Shihab Kuhail, Nafees Al Khuyool, RB To The House, AA Burning Down, Wafeeq, Caspar Yemir, RB Desert Lion, Mawared, Majd Al Sham and Derf Grain.
Full Runners List
| No. | Horse | Pedigree |
| 1 | Hatem | TM Fred Texas × Haifa |
| 2 | Lord de Lardous | Bon de Lardous × Alfa de Lardous |
| 3 | Neptune Al Maury | Jaafar ASF × Nilka |
| 4 | Adeeb Athbah | No Risk Al Maury × Burning Fancy |
| 5 | Dari | – |
| 6 | Shihab Kuhail | – |
| 7 | Nafees Al Khuyool | – |
| 8 | RB To The House | – |
| 9 | AA Burning Down | – |
| 10 | Wafeeq | – |
| 11 | Caspar Yemir | – |
| 12 | RB Desert Lion | – |
| 13 | Mawared | – |
| 14 | Majd Al Sham | – |
| 15 | Derf Grain | – |
A RETURN TO BENGHAZI
The Prestigious Cup returns to Benghazi for the second consecutive year, after Libya made its first appearance on the series’ agenda in 2025 at the Al Watan Shooting and Equestrian Club racecourse, in a leg that saw the horse Afjan crowned champion.
