Italy Steps Up: UAE President’s Cup Makes History at San Siro with First-Ever Group 1 Arabian Race
• 10 elite Purebred Arabian horses contest the fifth leg of the 33rd edition at the historic San Siro Racecourse in Milan.
• A prize pool of €300,000 — the richest Arabian race in Italian racing history.
“We are proud of the achievements of the Italian leg — and of cementing the presence of the Purebred Arabian horse in Italian and European racecourses.”
— HE Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri, Chairman, Higher Organizing Committee
San Siro makes history. For the first time, a Group 1 Arabian horse race will be contested at the legendary Milan racecourse — as the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses arrives in Italy for the fifth leg of its most ambitious season yet. Ten elite horses. A prize pool of €300,000. The richest and most prestigious Arabian race in Italian racing history.
Held under the support of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, the Italy leg is the third European stop of the 33rd edition’s global calendar — a season spanning 19 international legs across four continents with total prize money exceeding AED 20 million.
The race at San Siro will be run over 2,100 metres on dirt, in the Group 1 category for Purebred Arabian horses aged four years and above, with the competition set to begin at 18:20 Milan time. The Group 1 status marks a milestone not just for this Cup, but for Italian racing — making this the only Group 1 race on the entire 2026 Italian galloping calendar.
THE FIELD
The Italy leg has earned its reputation as one of the premier stages for Arabian horse racing in Europe, attracting elite stables from Italy, France, and beyond. The 2026 field of 10 runners is among the strongest assembled in this race’s history:
• AA Lahab
• Al Zeer
• Altajani VDC
• Buraaq
• Delirio
• Galateo
• Lino
• Moshrif
• Orlando Go
• RB Burn The Bill
ITALY LEG — ROLL OF CHAMPIONS
Since its debut as a Listed race in 2017, the Italy leg has grown in stature every year — from Group 3 in 2019, to Group 2 in 2020, and now Group 1 in 2026. The champions who have written their names into its history:
2017: Lightning Bolt
2018: Fazza Al Khalediah
2019: Akoya
2020: Jaazmah Athbah
2021: Hayyan
2022 – 2023: Jarif
2024: Ska de l’Aigle
2025: HM Alchahine
THE SERIES
The Italian leg holds a distinguished position on the UAE President’s Cup’s agenda. It has become one of the key stages that attract elite Arabian horse stables from Italy and across Europe — reaffirming each year the technical standard and global reach of a series that has spent three decades building the Arabian horse’s profile at the world’s most significant racetracks.
IN THEIR WORDS
HE Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni Al Dhaheri, Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, stated:
“The Italian leg represents one of the most important stages on the agenda of this Prestigious Cup. Its distinguished position in the European Arabian horse racing scene has grown steadily over the years — and its elevation to Group 1 in 2026 reflects the quality of what has been built here, with the continuous support of HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.”
He added:
“We are proud of the achievements the Italian leg has delivered — in the quality of participation from elite owners, breeders, and jockeys, and in cementing the presence of the Purebred Arabian horse in Italian and European racecourses. This aligns with the mission of the Prestigious Cup: to support the Arabian horse racing system and elevate its standing globally.”
