Bhupat Seemar lands double at Meydan to lead UAE trainers' title race

Tadhg O’Shea rides Royal Mews to victory for his 50th winner for the season

Tadhg O’Shea steers Royal Mews to bring up his 50th winner of the season at Meydan on Sunday, February 20, 2022. Photo: DHRIC

Bhupat Seemar racked up a double at Meydan on Sunday to open a two-winner lead over Doug Watson in the UAE trainer’s title race.

Bosphorus under Dane O’Neill led a one-two finish for Seemar in the second race and the stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea landed the official feature prize of the meeting on Royal Mews 35 minutes later to bring up his 50th winner of the season and take Seemar’s tally to 32.

O’Shea settled the five-year-old Siyouni gelding in midfield and, perhaps significantly, slightly wide out of any kickback. Once asked to win his race at the top of the straight, the outcome was soon beyond any doubt.

This was only his sixth career start and second victory, having won over 2,000m on the Chelmsford all-weather when trained by John and Thady Gosden for Godolphin.

Seemar enjoyed a 1-2 in the preceding 1,200m turf maiden, Lake Causeway, racing alone on the nearside rail under O’Shea, denied by Bosphorus in the centre, the mount of O’Neill.

A four-year-old Golden Horn colt, Bosphorus was getting off the mark at the sixth attempt on what was also his turf debut having run five times on all-weather surfaces in the UK for Godolphin.

“He has been slow to come to hand, which is why you have not seen him and he has been off for almost a year. His coat is still not 100 per cent so he should improve from that,” Seemar said of Bosphorus.

A 2,000m turf handicap appeared competitive on paper but was actually won convincingly by Al Madhar, produced to lead entering the final 250m and never in danger thereafter for Musabah Al Muhairi.

Twice a winner in Britain for Richard Hannon, Al Madhar had recorded a first UAE success on his penultimate start, over this track and trip, before finishing fourth in a 1,900m Meydan turf handicap.

“He was a bit disappointing last time but he enjoyed being ridden like that and given time to get into the race,” the winning jockey Antonio Fresu said of the five-year old-Siyouni gelding.

“He has won twice this year but this is going to be a very nice horse next season.”

The concluding 1,400m turf handicap produced an absolutely thrilling finish with the first five home finishing within a length of one another, with Al Salt, who had hit the front inside the final 275m, just holding on under O’Neill for Shadwell and Erwan Charpy.