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On the weekend of November 16 and 17, competition was fierce between local and foreign jockeys as they were participating in the 10th edition of the Morocco International Meeting in Casablanca. Held at the Casablanca Hippodrome, the two-day event featured 14 races, including 8 international ones.
On Saturday, the event was dedicated to English Thoroughbreds, with eight exciting races. The first competition of the day was the Prix Méditerranée, won by Moroccan-Italian rider Abdilah El Rherras with his horse Briefing.
The second trophy of the day was handed to jockey Rachid Amenay after winning the Prix Jean Pierre Laforest. «Dejoy is a great horse!» he told Yabiladi after leaving the podium. «She has already won before a national grand prize. Today she competed with international riders, who are also excellent, but we were lucky and we won this race», Amenay joyfully declared.
The third race of the day was female only, featuring Cavalières Amatrices (Female Amateur Riders) from several countries, including Spain, France, the UK, Germany, and the US, among others. The same race, Prix Fégentri, was won by Swedish jockey Hedman Elin Linnea Bernita with Wukair Grine, her horse.
«I didn’t get a lot of riding orders from my trainer, so I just had to make the best of the situation», Bernita said following her first race in Morocco. «I think I jumped off the stalls a bit too late, so I had to ride up there. And then I was just searching for somewhere to go and, it opened up so that was great. This is my first time here in Morocco and I enjoy it a lot. It’s warm and it’s beautiful and very luxurious», she told Yabiladi.
The fourth race, Grand Prix des Éleveurs, was snatched by Spanish rider Vaclav Janacek, who was riding Lady Aida. The fifth race, Grand Prix des Propriétaires, was this time for the English, with jockey Guillaume Guedj-Gay winning with Black Gangster.
A long-awaited victory for the owner of the horse, Peter Jones and son Tobias. «We came here last year for the first time, and we nearly won. We were beaten about an inch in the same race and so we thought we’d give it one more crack», Peter Jones from the UK told Yabiladi. «Back this year we brought four horses and you’ve got to have the right sort of horses so today we’ve had a first, second, a third and a sixth so we’re happy», he added.
For the sixth race of the day, Grand Prix de la SOREC, which is part of the prestigious «Défi du Galop» international series, the trophy was handed to Madihi Zouhair, for arriving first with Shinning Dawn.
Aziz Jabafi, riding Al Othmane, had their lucky day finishing first in the 7th race of the day, the Grand Prix de Sa Majesté Le Roi Mohammed VI. «Thank God everything went as we hoped, and we won this race. I'd like to thank my trainer Mohammed Azzehizi and the owners who trusted me», Jabafi briefly said after a very important and exhausting race.
The last race of the day, Prix Vichy, was won by 21-year-old jockey, Mohamed Moussa, with his horse Rene de Zemmour. «I did not expect to win and I am so happy», he told Yabiladi, adding «I thank the owners of the horse who trusted me and my teachers at Dar Essalam school and would like to offer this trophy to my mother and father».
Speaking to Yabiladi at the awards ceremony, SOREC’s Managing Director, Omar Skalli, expressed pride in the event, stating: «This year is the tenth edition of the Morocco International meeting under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and this year’s meeting is very important in the annual horse racing calendar in our country».
Moroccan jockeys bring home three of the competition's prestigious trophies
On Sunday, the second day of the Morocco International Meeting dedicated to pure bred Arabian horses, the ambiance was as high as Saturday, with local and international jockeys fighting for new victories. This time, the day included 6 races only, with three prestigious ones.
The first was the Jockey Club of Turkey, which was won by Ayoub Rayi, riding Siyaazam Maamora. The second race, Prix of the Presidency of the UAE Cup, was handed to Libyan jockey Khaled Miftah Alamari, who arrived first with Alataat.
The third race of the day, the Grand Prix of Prince Moulay Rachid, was for Moroccan rider Mohcine Lafram, with his horse Buraak. The fourth race, Grand Prix of Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, was for Moroccan jockey Khalid Ibba with Al Mambir Fal.
The star of the show was jockey Amine Moughat, who won the prestigious Grand Prix of King Mohammed VI, with his horse Ghasham. «We are very proud to win the Grand Prix of His Majesty the King; it is an honor to us», said Ghasham's owner from the Atlas Stud.
«It was not an easy race, there were three international competitors. We are happy that our horse Ghasham won the race. We are also happy that the horses of the Daissaoui family won two races, this one of His Majesty and the Prince Moulay Rachid Grand Prix. And we most of all happy that the three grand prix of today were won by Moroccan jockeys», he added.
The last trophy of the day was handed to jockey Reda Moussa, who finished first with Bazula Fal, at the Prix de l'A.R.M.E.C Pur Sang. «I was lucky today, and I won the race. I followed the instructions of my trainer, and I won this trophy», he told Yabiladi after stepping out of the podium with his trophy in his hands.
«It was a success, whether it be the performances of horses notably the three big races today: the race of the Grand Prix of His Majesty, the Grand Prix of His Highness the Crown Prince, and the Grand Prix of His Highness the Prince», noted SOREC head Omar Skalli. «The three winners were Moroccan, which reflects the effort and work of all the professionals, breeders, owners, trainers, and jockeys throughout the year. We can only be proud of these achievements, as well as the quality of the organization, which has been acknowledged by our foreign visitors and the work of all the SOREC teams and our partner teams», he proudly concluded.
It is worth noting that this year's edition marks the 10th anniversary the Morocco International Meeting, a decade of success and contribution to Morocco's influence on the global horse racing scene.
