ABU DHABI // Three feature races, two for the Purebred Arabians and one for the thoroughbreds, highlight the final meeting of the season at the capital’s racetrack.
The Group 1 Emirates Championship for Purebred Arabians tops the chart with a purse of Dh1 million.
Ten go to post, and barring three entries, the remaining runners are from the powerful Al Asayl stables of UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed’s Al Wathba stables.
Tadhg O’Shea, the first choice jockey for Al Asayl, has elected to ride Abu Alabyad for the first time in his 10 career starts. The six year old has yet to win in four starts this season but was the winner of the President’s Cup last year.
Abu Alabyad seems the one to beat on the strength of that success with stable companion Abhaar under Wayne Smith to post the main challenge over the 2,200-metre distance.
“It seems amazing I have not ridden him in a race before. These are his optimum conditions and he must have a massive chance,” O’Shea said.
Harry Bentley on Sha’Red spearheads the three trained by Nacer Samiri at Al Wathba while the Ibrahim Al Hadhrami-trained Djet Taouy in the silks of the Royal Cavalry Oman should pose the danger for the Al Asayl pair.
Dormello will attempt to create a piece of history by becoming the first horse to win the Group 3 Abu Dhabi Championship twice.
The Dhruba Selvaratnam-trained eight year old was an impressive winner of his last start at Meydan and has every chance of rectifying that by repeating his victory of 12 months ago.
Stable jockey, Chris Hayes, is again in the saddle as he has been for all four of the horse’s previous outings this season.
“He won very well the last day and the extra 200m will be in his favour. Dhruba’s horses remain in great form and we have to be very hopeful,” Hayes said.
Khusoosy trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe, a winner over the course and distance, while Satish Seemar’s Cross Grain, who won over 1,400m are set to go close along with Salem bin Ghadayer’s newcomer Rembrandt Van Rijn and Groor, trained in Bahrain by Ali Jan.
Cross Grain is an interesting runner and for a six year old, he has had only seven starts and only one on the turf, which he won in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago.
“We always wanted to run him on turf but could never find the right race,” Richard Mullen said of the Cape Cross gelding.
“We knew the surface would suit him and he may have only won a neck last time but it was a pretty comfortable neck. He is worth a try over this longer trip and, hopefully, will stay and be competitive.”
The UAE Arabian Derby, the second race on the card has drawn 13 entries, including Sniper De Monlau, winner of the opening and third leg of the Arabian triple Crown, and Mahbooba, the filly who edged him out in the middle leg of the three-race series.
Only a short head separated them in the two times they have clashed and they meet for the third time to win bragging rights as the best four-year-old Arabian for the season.
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