Abu Dhabi: After landing a treble last week at the capital course, the Al Asayl Stables owned by HH The President Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, trainer Eric Lemartinel and UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea landed a double at the capital’s track on Sunday evening.
Mahbooba stole the show in the Purebred Arabian 2200m HH The President Cup Prep, a conditions race, when she was chased home by stable companion Abu Alabyad, the mount of Gerald Avranche.
“That is a great result for the team and we thought we had a decent chance but knew she had to build on what she had achieved so far,” said O’Shea.”
“And fair play to her, she has done that in good style and appears to be on the up so, with luck, will be a serious contender for the big race itself.”
The trio opened their account for the evening with the hard-fought victory of Deyaar who narrowly prevailed in a 2200m conditions stakes, for mares, to record just her second career win on her 11th career start and making her sixth local outing a winning one.
Second to the aforementioned Mahbooba on her previous start, over 1600m, she was ridden patiently by O’Shea before the pair challenged, and led, halfway up the straight.
“They did not go particularly quickly which has helped her utilise her speed and she stayed the trip well enough,” said O’Shea. “It looked a good opportunity for her and she has taken full opportunity.”
The 10 runners for the 1400m Thoroughbred HH The President Cup Prep, also a conditions contest, included the winner of the big race itself last year, Ghaamer, and he looked to have seen of most of the opposition in this race when skipping clear leaving the home turn.
However, the Satish Seemar-trained Akeed Champion made ridiculously smooth progress under Richard Mullen to ease alongside Ghaamer before quickening clear in very taking fashion in the final 200m.
A course and distance winner on his penultimate start, he probably found 1200m at Meydan too sharp last time but could not have been more impressive winning this in the style of a good horse. “He won well here two starts ago and we hope he is a Dubai World Cup Carnival horse,” said Mullen. “This win will open up lots of options for him and the fast pace they went tonight has really suited him.”
AF Ssayed under Dubai World Cup winning jockey Fernando Jara led a 1-2-3 finish for owner-breeder Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah in the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup for Private Owners Only race in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, January 22, 2017.
