The Group 3 Al Ruwais and the Arabian Triple Crown Round-1, a Listed prize for four-year-olds, highlight the six-race card in Abu Dhabi’s ninth meeting of the season on Thursday.
The trainer-owner duo of Ibrahim Aseel and Ziad Galadari clinched the sprint prize for Purebred Arabians last year, and the combination is looking to replicate that success with Gold Silver.
The seven-year-old son of Josco Du Cayrou was runner up over the track and trip in his last two visits to the capital city.
However, Aseel’s charge will have to be wary of AF Majalis who beat him by a nose in his last start here three weeks ago.
AF Majalis has won three other course and distance handicaps which Gold Silver contested in. Ernst Oertel’s runner with six career victories, all under UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea, should go well once again.
Bshara, representing the Al Asayl team of trainer Salem Al Ketbi and Richard Mullen, has been in good form too with the homebred five-year-old mare placed in all three starts this season.
In the most recent start, Bshara was beaten by AF Majalis and Gold Silver.
Musabah Al Muhairi’s Namrood takes a drop in class and under Antonio Fresu, could pose the danger to all.
He wasn’t beaten far in his three starts for the season, including a close second behind Shoja'A Muscat in a handicap rated 75-100 over the 1,600 distance in Abu Dhabi.
The Listed Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 has attracted a field of seven with Omani trainer Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi doubled handed with Nadia Du Loup and Alghabraa.
French import Nadia Du Loup made a winning debut over the track and trip, while Alghabraa came in second behind Unleashed - also over the track and trip in her first start in the Emirates.
O’Shea, who steered Unleashed to victory that day, is booked on Alghabraa, while Pat Dobbs is now onboard the Jabber Bittar-trained Valiant Boy colt.
Majed Al Jahouri’s Bassam Al Wathba, under Bernardo Pinheiro, made a winning racecourse debut when landing a 1,400m maiden in Abu Dhabi three weeks ago.
The homebred Areem colt, in the silks of Al Wathba Racing, won comfortably from RB Stryngs Attached and with Pinheiro retaining the ride, they are expected to make a bold bid to maintain their perfect start.
Racecard
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
5.30pm: Wadi Shees – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club Gold Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m
7.30pm: Wadi Ghalilah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
