Antonio Fresu secured a treble, including the Listed Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 on board Omani trainer Ibrahim Al Hadhrami’s Bahar Muscat, in the ninth race meeting at Abu Dhabi on Monday.
The three wins also moved the Italian’s tally to 41, one behind the UAE jockey’s championship leader Tadhg O’Shea.
Bahar Muscat stretched his perfect record to four with his latest victory, and third over the track and trip.
Drawn in the widest gate in the 11-runner field, Fresu quickly had the AF Albahar colt well-placed in the front before quickening on the home stretch to win from RB Yas Sir and stablemate Suttam Muscat by three lengths and a length-and-a-quarter respectively.
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
“He’s a very nice colt in the making, now undefeated in four starts,” Fresu said.
“My only concern was the strong head-wind in the early part of the race but he negotiated it very well. He was going well in the last two furlongs and did it easily.”
Al Hadhrami added: “He [Bahar Muscat] has done everything he has been asked to do, and is improving with every run.
“He seems to love the turf track in Abu Dhabi. Obviously we’ll see how he has come out of this race and perhaps the Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 will probably be his next target."
Fresu won the opener on Ahmed Al Shemaili’s AF Falaq and the fourth race on another Al Hadhrami-trained runner - Mutaqadim.
O’Shea pulled one back by taking the second race on Ernst Oertel’s AF Majalis in the silks of his main patron Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah.
Fresu and O’Shea have made the championship race their own with the latter chasing an unprecedented 10th title. Richard Mullen is the closest challenger in third on 20.
AF Majalis was winning for the fourth time in Abu Dhabi but it was his first for the season.
“He finished third twice and once second in Abu Dhabi this season, and this win was overdue,” O’Shea said.
Fernando Jara and Patrick Cosgrave picked up a winner each in the meeting dominated by Fresu.
Jara took the Wathba Stallions Cup on Mohamed Daggash’s AF Fakhama and Cosgrave took home the concluding thoroughbred handicap on Bhupat Seemar’s Poster Paint.
AF Fakhama, under Jara, won for the first time in 23 starts .
“He has been highly tried this season and has run close in some races,” the 2007 Dubai World Cup winning jockey said of the eight year old Al Kesbe gelding.
“He was spot on tonight. He travelled well and showed enough speed to lead close home. I don’t see any reason why he can’t win another prize or two at this level before end of the season.”
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
5pm: Sweihan – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Shamakh, Fernando Jara (jockey), Jean-Claude Picout (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Shamkha – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Daad, Dane O’Neill, Jaber Bittar
6pm: Shakbout City – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Ghayyar, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Gold Silver, Sandro Paiva, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Masdar City – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Khalifa City – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Ranchero, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
