Abhaar races to the Triple Crown lead with victory in Abu Dhabi

Salem Al Ketbi 'could not have expected a better result' with 1-2 finish in feature race

Jockey Adrie de Vries rides Abhaar to victory in the Arabian Triple Crown race at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on January 4, 2015. Delores Johnson / The National

ABU DHABI // Salem Al Ketbi, who is standing in for suspended Al Asayl stables trainer Ernst Oertel, said there is more to come from his two winners at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club last night, Abhaar and Shaheer.

Adrie de Vries onboard Abhaar made almost all the running to win the Listed Arabian Triple Crown Round 1 from stablemate RB Torch after Shaheer, under stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea, had emerged an impressive winner of the opener, a maiden. Both races were over 1,600 metres.

"We had three entered in the Triple Crown and expected one of them to win – had a one-two finish and the filly Estourah was sixth. I couldn't have expected a better result," Al Ketbi said.

“The first two in the Triple Crown and Shaheer are juveniles open to further improvement. They have shown a lot of promise at work and now on the racecourse.

“Hopefully they can achieve bigger things if they keep well and in good shape. We’ll see how they have come out of these races and go in to the Triple Crown Round 2.”

All three of Al Ketbi’s in the Dh250,000 race came in having won on their racecourse debuts. RB Torch, who was an impressive winner at the Al Ain racecourse, had been stable jockey O’Shea’s choice.

The Irishman, who had also won on the track previously onboard Abhaar, mounted his challenge on the 300-metre home stretch but found the stable companion under De Vries much too strong.

“He did his job well and won with plenty at hand,” De Vries said after winning by two-and-three-quarter lengths.

There was a pile-up of four horses 200m from the start when Balad Al Reef under Jesus Rosales clipped the heels of Da’Areen, who took a nosedive with rider Harry Bentley.

Rosales was also thrown out of the saddle along with Jose Santiago on MH Kanz and Noel Garbutt onboard Barasti, but there were no injuries.

Al Ketbi’s first winner last night, Shaheer, was making his local debut, having been runner-up in three starts, in France, the last in a Group 1.

“We’ll see how he has come out of this race and run him in the Triple Crown Round 2, which is a Group 3, on February 22,” Al Ketbi said.

O’Shea had the chestnut son of Abu Alemarat well-placed behind the leaders in the 14-runner field before sending him to the front on the final turn to romp home a winner by seven-and-a-half lengths.

Al Ketbi pushed his tally to four winners after rounding off the evening with two victories, a second-place finish and Malekov coming in third in the concluding handicap for the thoroughbreds.

That race was won by Ukrainian under Royston Ffrench, who recorded his second successive win over the course and distance in four weeks.

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