STOCKHOLM, 7th June, 2026 (WAM) — The horse “Wasmy Al Khalediah” was crowned champion of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses at the Sweden leg, the second European stop on the 33rd edition’s calendar, held on Saturday, at the Gärdet Turf Racecourse in Stockholm, coinciding with the National Day celebrations of the Kingdom of Sweden.
The Sweden leg featured 10 elite Purebred Arabian horses from Sweden and across Europe, in a race run over 1,500 metres on turf, in the Listed category for horses aged four years and above, maintaining its status as one of the most prominent Arabian horse races in the Scandinavian countries.
Wasmy Al Khalediah (by Ghandafar Al Khalediah out of Shaza Al Khalediah), representing Polska AKF sp Z.O.O., trained by Janusz Kozlowski and ridden by Per-Anders Gråberg, claimed the Sweden leg title with a composed and commanding performance, confirming his emergence as a leading force in the Prestigious Cup after finishing runner-up at this same venue in last year’s edition.
The champion delivered a measured, controlled race, asserting himself in the decisive stages to seize the title amid fierce competition from an elite field. Wasmy Al Khalediah covered the 1,500-metre distance in a time of 1:38.06 — crossing the line ahead of two former champions to write his name into the Sweden leg’s roll of honour.
He finished ahead of Freddy Py (FR), winner of the 2023 and 2024 editions, by TM Fred Texas × Via Hipolyte, owned and trained by Gerard Th Zoetelief and ridden by Lorenzo Putzulu. Farida P (BEL), winner of the 2025 edition, by Al Mourtajez × Hania Dea, owned and trained by Pieter Dekkers and ridden by Jeremy Moisan, finished third.
With this achievement, Wasmy Al Khalediah added his name to the list of champions of the Sweden leg, which in recent years has seen victories by some of the leading Arabian horses, including Mihdaf Adhba in 2020, Rasmi Al Khalediah in 2021 and 2022, Freddy Py (FR) in 2023 and 2024, Farida P (BEL) in 2025, and Wasmy Al Khalediah in 2026.
The Sweden leg attracted a public attendance of 30,000 spectators, who engaged enthusiastically with the race and the accompanying programme in an exceptional festive atmosphere at Gärdet Turf Racecourse, an occasion enriched by the parallel National Day celebrations of the Kingdom of Sweden, lending the leg significant public and media reach and further cementing its standing within the Prestigious Cup’s European calendar.
The race and the crowning of winners were attended by Saeed Al Muhairi, representative of the Higher Organising Committee of the UAE President’s Cup for Purebred Arabian Horses, in the conclusion of a leg that brought together elite Arabian horses from Sweden and across Europe in distinguished competition for the Prestigious Cup title.
Aref Hamad Al Awani, Member of the Higher Organising Committee, said, “We take great pride in the achievements the Prestigious Cup continues to deliver at European racetracks, and in what the Sweden leg embodied a distinguished presence, strong participation by elite Arabian horses, and remarkable public engagement that reflected the esteemed standing the Cup has earned among owners and breeders in every corner of the world.”
He added, “The staging of the Sweden race at Gärdet Turf Racecourse in Stockholm, coinciding with Sweden’s National Day celebrations, represents an important milestone in the journey of the Prestigious Cup — and reflects the Higher Organising Committee’s commitment to consolidating the global presence of the Arabian horse at the world’s most significant racetracks and public events.”
Source: Emirates News Agency