Kieren Fallon will not ride President's Cup favourite

Olivier Peslier will saddle Seraphin Du Paon in the Dh1 million race for the Purebred Arabians on Sunday with Fallon describing the five-year-old as the horse to beat.

ABU DHABI // Kieren Fallon has lost out on riding the President's Cup fancy Seraphin Du Paon for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, because of his obligation to ride for his retained stables of Saeed Naser al Romaithi in the Dh1 million race for the Purebred Arabians at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday.

"That's the horse to beat in this race," said the six-time British champion jockey at today's launch of the President's Cup series at the Royal Stables in Abu Dhabi.

Fallon rode the 2010 Arabian Derby winner on his first run or the season to finish a close second behind surprise winner Vite Royale in the President's Cup Prep race on January 9 and he believes the five-year-old will come off well from that run.

"He was finishing strongly and could have won that race after coming from a long way behind. It was his first race for the season and I didn't use the whip. But he will come off well from that run and looks the pick of the runners."

Olivier Peslier, the French jockey, replaces Fallon.

"He is in good shape after that race and obviously our main hope for the coveted prize," said Philippe Barbe, the trainer.

Eric Lemartinel's pair Shadiyda and Nieshan poses the main challenge to Seraphin Du Paon and the trainer said it was a wide open race.

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