The UAE jockey’s championship titles now appears to be firmly in favour of Tadhg O’Shea as he bids to become the champion for an unprecedented 10th time.
The Irishman is on 61 winners, eight ahead of closest challenger Antonio Fresu with six race meetings left for the season, including the Dubai World Cup night.
O’Shea is riding in all 20 races across the weekend’s three meetings at Al Ain on Friday, Jebel Ali’s final meeting on Saturday and Sunday’s second last meeting in Abu Dhabi.
The Al Ain Sprint, a 1,000-metre dash with prestige status is the highlight of Al Ain’s seven-race card.
O’Shea is on board Ernst Oertel’s AF Thayer in the race. The five year old by AF Al Salaam has won four of his eight starts, and will be the one to beat in the five-runner field.
O’Shea can consolidate his lead in the jockey’s title race by adding a winner or two to his tally in Al Ain before moving on to Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi.
He is booked to ride in all seven races at Jebel Ali and all six races in Abu Dhabi, that also include the Dh1million Emirates Championship for Purebred Arabians, the UAE Arabian Derby and Listed Abu Dhabi Championship for thoroughbreds.
Jean de Roualle’s Somoud in the silks of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed’s Yas Racing is bidding for a hat-trick of the Emirates Championship.
The eight-year-old son of Munjiz bounced back from three disappointing runs to win the Dh2.5million President’s Cup for the Arabians over the track and trip five weeks ago.
Adrie de Vries, who has been in the saddle in three of the four starts this season, including the victory in his last start, retains the ride.
The UAE Arabian Derby has drawn 13 runners with O’Shea booked on Abubakar Daud’s AF Mualami, a winner of his last start under Fresu who is now atop Ibrahim Al Hadhrami’s Haroon.
Haroon was fourth on his racecourse debut and was third Magtah Albahar in his last start at Al Ain.
Irish Freedom is O’Shea’s choice from the five entries from Seemar’s stables, for whom he’s the first jockey.
The Pioneer of The Nile gelding won the prize 12 months ago under Fresu, who is on board another Seemar runner Law Of Peace, winner of three races from the last four starts.
Irish Freedom hasn’t won since then but arrives having placed third and second in his last two starts.
