Rabat, Morocco – September 28, 2024 – After the victory of Spain’s Carolina Aresu Garcia Obregon in the Accumulator with Telhueche (“a horse with a huge heart,” said Carolina), the 4* riders met again at night for the main event of the day, the €28,500 Maroc Telecom Prize CSIO 4*-W, a 1.50 m “winning-tour” in which 31 riders took part… And in the end, it was a Saudi who reigned victorious.

There were few clear rounds in the first round—as a matter of fact, only one (Gaudiano and Nikolaj), in contrast to yesterday’s Grand Prix, but that didn’t matter tonight, as the rules of the game for this winning tour meant that all the counters were reset to zero for the 12 qualifiers for the second round (the winning round, in other words). The top three finishers benefited of that system , all of whom came out with one bar and even two for winner Khaled Almobty (KSA , the last qualifier with 8 penalty-points, who thus left this decisive round in first place.

Then, it was time to throw down the gauntlet. Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) had the speed, but it was at the cost of a rub and a subsequent four faults from NiKolaj de Music in the double.

The one who came closest to the Saudi rider was France’s Ines Joly (FRA), who had an incredible Morocco Royal Tour, whether with Ambassador Z (2nd in yesterday’s Grand Prix) or with Pegasus Bandit Savoie, the winner of the Grand Prix in Tétouan, but who, like the day before, lost by a hair, eight hundredths, to a rider from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The day before, she had conceded 22-hundredths to Ramzy Al Duhami.

That said, those eight-hundredths were good enough for Khaled Almobty (KSA), the third Saudi rider to win the 4* main event: “It’s a Grand Prix-level event, so it’s a very important win with Davenport VDL, who was making his competitive debut. With my two rails, I never thought I’d qualify for the second round. By starting first in this decisive round, I had nothing to lose, so I gave it my all and it worked”. 

Saudi Arabia has been on fire in Rabat, besides the win, one of its most accomplished riders conquered bronze honors too. The always fast Abdullah Al-Sharbatly (KSA) earned third place on Böckmanns Lord Pezi Junior.

Obviously, with this hat-trick in three days, the Saudi Arabian team are the favorites leading into the Nations’ Cup, but Khaled is wary of… “Spain and Morocco”. We’ll see tomorrow if tonight’s winner is as good a prognosticator as he is a horseman!

Final Results – €28,500 Maroc Telecom Prize CSIO 4*-W

1) Khaled Almobty (KSA) & Davenport VDL – 8 / 0 – 32.78

2) Ines Joly (FRA) & Pegasus Bandit Savoie – 4 / 0 – 32.86

3) Abdullah Al-Sharbatly (KSA) & Böckmanns Lord Pezi Junior – 4 / 0 – 33.77

Source: Press Release (edited) by Pascal Renauldon / Agence R&B Presse for Morocco Royal Tour

Photos: © Morocco Royal Tour / Morgan Froment for R&B Presse

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