ARO Patron HH Sheikh Hamdan secures
19 Owners Championship

Shadwell Arabians Marketing and Nominations Co-ordinator Marion Lachat receives the
2020 ARO Champion Owner trophy on behalf of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) season concluded today at Wolverhampton with some familiar names heading the championship tables. ARO Patron HH Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum secured his nineteenth Owners Championship, which was also his seventeenth consecutive win. James Owen achieved his fourth Trainers Championship, with his stable amateur jockey Alex Chadwick retaining the Jockeys Championship for a second successive year.

2020 ARO Champion Trainer James Owen

Speaking of his success Owen said: “Of course it’s been a difficult season, so all our thanks go to ARO, our team, all our owners and the sponsors for waiting. We’ve got some nice progressive types coming along and with Shadwell’s support, who have been great, and our Racing Club who have also been very patient, we’re looking forward to next year when hopefully everyone can return to the races as normal.”

Chadwick was also full of praise for the team behind him saying: “It’s a massive achievement for me, as coming into this season with less races, I knew it would be a much harder task. I’d like to thank James, His Highness and all the owners for giving me the opportunities and all credit goes to everyone at home. I have the great job of riding nice horses at the races, but there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes, with everyone doing much more than me to get these horses to the track. Hopefully we can keep the momentum rolling on to next season.”

2020 ARO Champion Jockey Alex Chadwick

Genny Haynes, Arabian Racing Organisation Commercial and Finance Director said: “ARO sends their warmest congratulations to His Highness on his continued success this season, and also to James and Alex whose hard work continues to pay dividends on the racecourse. His Highness also bred and owns the leading Arabian mare, Wanaasa, trained by James, and it is also her sire, No Risk Al Maury who heads the UK leading sires’ championship for the first time.”

2020 Leading Arabian Horse Al-Tabari with trainer Peter Hammersley

“We also congratulate Peter and Michelle Hammersley on the success of their Al-Tabari and his breeder Julie Kelway, as he earns the leading Arabian horse title. Which is a very pleasing achievement for small-owner breeders in what has been an incredibly difficult and challenging year for all in racing.  ARO is thankful for the support of our participants who chose to keep their horses in training during these uncertain times and is extremely grateful to all our valued sponsors this season. Even though we were only able to hold fourteen races, it is due to this support that we have maintained our presence as part of UK racing. In addition, we also thank the British Horseracing Authority and everyone at Chelmsford City, Doncaster, Goodwood and Wolverhampton Racecourses for their continued assistance in ensuring that we were able to race in 2020.”

Source: www.aroracing.co.uk / Photo: Debbie Burt