My Happy Horses: Part 2

Equine MediRecord in partnership with Arabian Racehorse is proudly supporting the Arabian Racing Organisation participants and their horses during the suspension of UK Arabian racing.

Owner-breeder Nicki Thorne writes: “Akala Firefly is by my special boy Tidarbret, winner of the President of the UAE Cup at The Curragh with the one and only Johnny Murtagh riding. His dam is my beautiful FEI3* mare Cleopatrah – winner and placed in many FEI endurance races, as well as formerly being a winning racehorse in the USA.”

“Firefly went to Phil Collington at the end of last year for backing and race training at his Newmarket yard. I can’t wait to see him to get to the racetrack despite the current delay to racing and given how awful the situation is worldwide, he is a wonderful way to have hope for the future.”

Cleopatrah (US) was bred by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed and raced for Alan James Shapiro, trained by Lynn Ashby. She won four of her 39 starts, and was placed 15 times. Three of those starts were over 6f on Dirt, with her final win coming in the Rosebrook Arabian Distaff Turf Handicap over a mile and one sixteenth. She is by Calin De Louvre (by Djelfor) out of SRF Calera (by Corinto).

Tidarbret (GB) is by Bengali D’Albret (by Cheri Bibi) out of Iktidar (by Djelfor) and was bred by Jim and Jo Kippen. He raced 32 times and also won four races, trained by Denis Batteate for Thorne. At his best over a mile, he was a twice a runner-up in Group 2 PA contests over 7f, 10f and a Group 3PA over 5f. Since retiring to stud he has sired Billy’s Girl, a winner over 6f at Chelmsford City and Thorne’s own Falcon Du Roc’h placed over a mile in his debut season in 2019.