By Duane Fonseca

Masa Adnan Tonbakji’s fine form in the saddle continued with the Syrian rider partnering F3 Stables owned El Nize Gamilah to a very narrow victory in the Ladies Ride of the HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Festival at Dubai International Endurance City on Monday.

The Festival is one of the most sought after events on the international endurance riding schedule and Tonbakji, with numerous big name successes already this season, calculated things perfectly aboard her 13yo mare, a Khalifa Ghanim Al Marri trainee, during the course of the four loop ride that saw her win with a time of three hours 27 minutes and 51 seconds (3:27.51) that was a result of maintaining an average speed of 29.16kph.

Her timing was a second quicker than Argentina’s Milena Mendez, who completed the ride aboard M7 Endurance Stables’ Mohammed Ahmed Al Subosi trained Jamal Beauty with a time of 3:27.52, in turn a further second quicker than the UAE’s Buthaina Khalid Al Redha, who guided the Ali Ghanim Al Marri schooled Midlandi Cooper into third for F3 Stables.

The 101km Ladies Ride got the HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Festival underway and Tonbakji started the event in ninth place with Belgian rider Dune Bastille-White taking the summit on Al Reef Ajban II Stables owned SM Lord L’ebrio. The Syrian dropped nine spots during the second loop as the lead changed hands, M7’s Martina Spelanzon, also of Argentina, taking over from Bastille-White.

ARGENTINE TO ARGENTINE

Spelanzon failed to hold on during the third loop, passing the baton on to her Argentine compatriot Mendez, who needed to hold on to the lead over the final loop spanning 21km. Mendez held a slender three second lead ahead of second placed Maitha Al Qubaisi, who rode Aotrou El Quibi for F3 Stables.

Going into the final loop, Tonbakji was eighth, 34s off the pace and needed a massive effort from El Nize Gamilah to make a successful bid. With her mare obliging, Tonbakji was able to lift her game and raise the pace several notches going from 27.32kph to 34.58kph. That allowed her to cover the deficit just in time.

Mendez would have been disappointed to have lost after coming so close, while third placed Al Redha did well to climb up from 26th to 23rd to 10th over the first three loops.

TNT WIN PRIVATE STABLES RIDE

Meanwhile, Musaab Mohammed Al Falasi partnered Senattore to win the HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Festival's Private Stables Ride a day later on Tuesday, the pair leading from start to win with a time of 3:30.32.

Finishing second were Rashed Amer Alameri and Beduina Christiana for Alazem Stables' Beduina Christiana with Saeed Ahmad Al Shamsi and Poli third for SS Private Stables.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Festival Pvt Stables Ride (Top 3)

1 Musaab Mohd Al Falasi (UAE) Senattore - TNT (3:30.32)
2 Rahed Amer Alameri (UAE) Beduina Christiana - Alazem (3:31.43)
3 Saeed Ahmad Al Shamsi (UAE) Poli  - SS Private (3:31.44)