Ottoman completes hat-trick with impressive win on first run of season

Al Hammadi’s colt emerges as strong candidate for next month’s Group 1 Jewel Crown during Abu Dhabi’s opening meeting

Jockey Patrick Cosgrave celebrated a double in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Ottoman picked up from where he left off last season, completing a hat-trick in Abu Dhabi’s opening meeting – consisting of five races for Purebred Arabians and one for the thoroughbreds on Sunday.

Returning to the track after two Group 3 prizes under his belt last season, the four-year-old by Valiant Boy made all under Patrick Cosgrave to win the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Prep from Harrab and Mujeeb by five and-a-half lengths and three lengths, respectively.

“That was a very pleasing first run in more than seven months,” his trainer Abdallah Al Hammadi said.

“Ottoman was impressive and had some group 1 campaigners struggling behind him tonight. He’s a young horse and I would like to think there is more to come from him.

“We will see how he has come out of this race and then decide where he goes next.

"The [Group 1] Crown Jewel in just under a month from now is an obvious option now that he has won the prep race very impressively. As a young horse there are a lot of options to choose for him.”

Al Hammadi celebrated a second winner half hour later when Dane O’Neill produced a strong late run on Goulash to take the penultimate race by a short head from AF Moulami with Sandro Paiva in the saddle.

Cosgrave too celebrated a double by taking the concluding thoroughbred handicap on Erwan Charpy’s Spirit Of Light.

Ernst Oertel also saddled a double, both in the silks of Emirati owner-breeder Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah.

Malin Holmberg was atop AF Soqrat in the first of the two winners in the Wathba Stallions Cup and Tadhg O’Shea made all on AF Mahzamy in the handicap run over 2,200 metres.

The double for the trainer-owner took their tallies to four wins each in three meetings for the Arabians in the season.

“We have a lot of young horses as in every season and nice to have some early winners,” Al Naboodah, who has five UAE owners championship titles, said.

“AF Mahzamy is one of those with potential. He won the Al Ain Derby on dirt last season and tonight he led all the way to win his first start the season.

“He’s only four and will improve further. He is also versatile and can handle any surface. This is only his fourth career start and we’ll decide where he goes next.”

Results:

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: JAP Alhattal, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Irfan Elahi (trainer)

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Soqrat, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200mrom where he left; Winner: AF Mahzamy, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep – Rated Conditions (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Ottoman, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi

7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Goulash, Dane O’Neill, Abdallah Al Hammadi

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Spirit Of Light, Patrick Cosgrave, Erwan Charpy