Dubai // Trainers Dhruba Selvaratnam and Musabah Al Muhairi, as well as jockeys James Doyle and Pat Dobbs, were all in double form at Jebel Ali on Friday, the penultimate meeting of the UAE season before the Dubai World Cup fixture next Saturday.
The official feature was an 1,800-metre conditions race, and Dormello, trained on the course by Selvaratnam for racecourse patron Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, opened both his local and dirt account in style.
Settled in midfield by stable jockey Doyle, they made smooth progress to lead 600m out and were soon clear to record a comfortable victory.
“He is a decent performer and has been running well all season,” Doyle said. “He has shown here he is just as good on this surface as turf.”
They completed their double with Roicead, also winning on dirt for the first time, turning the closing 1,200m handicap into a procession.
“That looked a competitive race on paper, but he has really done that nicely,” Doyle said. “What a great way to end our season here at Jebel Ali.”
Al Muhairi and Dobbs wasted little time getting off the mark on the afternoon, landing the opening 1,600m handicap with Canary Wharf. He could not have been braver, making all the running under Dobbs and answering his jockey’s every call in a gutsy display.
“He just did not want to be beaten today,” Dobbs said. “Every time a challenge came he fought it off and dug very deep. He deserves all the credit.”
Their second victory came from Bismark, comfortable winner of a 1,400m maiden, the penultimate race on the card.
“He did it nicely, but it was probably not a great race,” Dobbs said.
Toolain had not won since his second career victory on his third start in July 2010 but bounced back to winning ways, on his 20th start since, to take the 1,950m handicap with stable jockey Richard Mullen in the saddle.
Trainer Satish Seemar said: “That was a great ride from Richie as you have to let this horse have his own way as far as possible as he is a real character. He has always had ability and run some good races this season already.
“Today everything fell right for him, and it is nice to see him get his head back in front.”
Ahmad bin Harmash has enjoyed a great first season with a licence and saddled his 12th winner of the campaign with the exciting victory of Zurbriggen in a 1,400m conditions race.
With stable jockey Adrie de Vries on board, he was always travelling well as he settled at the rear of the field in his debut on dirt.
De Vries sat quietly and waited for a gap to open. When it did, the pair eased through before quickening nicely.
“This is a nice horse, no doubt about it,” De Vries said. “We would have won with any luck at all last time in Abu Dhabi and this is compensation to an extent.
“Hopefully he will be a really big horse for us next season.”
Dobbs and Al Muhairi finished as the leading Jebel Ali jockey and trainer respectively, with Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid well clear in the owners’ table.
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