ABU DHABI // Eric Lemartinel capped his first season as the Al Asayl trainer with a fabulous double at Sunday night’s final meet of the regular season at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
The Frenchman sent out Mahbooba to win the UAE Arabian Derby under Tadhg O’Shea and also scooped up the Group 1 Emirates Championship with Abhaar ridden by Wayne Smith.
“Obviously a wonderful first season at Al Asayl,” said Lemartinel, who took his tally to 35 winners and 66 either finishing second or third.
“It was a total change for me, with plenty of good horses, big facilities. To adapt to the new surroundings, I think we have done pretty well and hopefully will do better next season.”
Mahbooba underlined her status as the best four-year-old Purebred Arabian when she improved her head-to-head record to 2-1 over Sniper De Monlau, the winner of the first and third legs of the Arabian Triple Crown.
O’Shea, who finally decided to jump on-board the filly for the first time in her four starts, rode a perfect race.
Read more UAE horse racing:
Abu Alabyad to enjoy ‘optimum conditions’ at Group 1 Emirates Championship for Purebred Arabians
Tadhg O’Shea wins after fellow Al Asayl Stables jockey Gerald Avranche is injured at Abu Dhabi
The Irishman had Mahbooba placed third for much of the 2,200-metre trip before producing a challenge approaching the final bend to win by two lengths.
A short head had separated her in the first two meetings with Sniper De Monlau.
“Tonight my filly was pretty straightforward,” O’Shea said. “I sat on the box seat. Thankfully she obliged.
“I kept seeing him [Sniper De Monlau] from the corner of my eye. He hung again and it is very hard when he goes that wide. I kept my filly straight and she did it very nicely this time.”
An hour later, Abhaar made all the running under Smith to win the Dh1 million prize from the Nacer Samiri-trained Sha’Red under Harry Bentley.
“He was quick out of the gate and was travelling really well throughout the trip,” Smith said. “I gave him a nice breather at the back stretch, and half-a-mile out, I just started to wind it up. Harry Bentley came to me but my lad didn’t lay down as he is tough and didn’t let any horse pass.”
Abhaar’s victory was also Lemartinel’s first Group 1 success for the Al Asayl stables.
“This is the first time he has run in the 2,200m but he did a very good job. We tried him over the dirt over a mile at Meydan and he didn’t like it,” Lemartinel said. “He is only five. Perhaps next year we will give him another go over the longer trip, and if he runs well, then he would be a potential Dubai Kahayla Classic prospect.”
Between Lemartinel’s double, Paul Hanagan on Khusoosy led a one two finish for Emirati trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe in the Group 3 Abu Dhabi Championship, the solitary race for the thoroughbreds. O’Shea led for most of the way on the stables second runner Munaaser before Hanagan wore him down in the final 25 metres to win by a short head.
The third, Rembrandt Van Rijn under Royston Ffrench was finishing best of all but he got the opening too late from behind a wall of horses.
“It just took time to get top gear,” Hanagan said. “Munaaser nearly stole it and it was really tight out there. My lad took time to get there and the firmer it went the better and we got there in the end.”
apassela@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
