Eric Lemartinel scooped three prizes with three different jockeys in the seven-race card meeting at Al Ain Racecourse on Thursday.
Olivier Doleuze provided the Al Asayl Stables trainer the first winner of the night, as the veteran French jockey brought Joori from last to first in the second race.
Fabrice Veron aboard RB Money To Burn doubled the number of wins for Lemartinel. In the process, he celebrated his first winner in the UAE with a track record time over the 1,600-metre trip.
Pat Cosgrave, the stable jockey, was not to be denied a winner on the night. He drew all his might in the concluding race to get Tawazun ahead of the Connor Beasley-ridden Maaly Al Reef in a battle to the finishing line.
Doleuze, who has ridden more than 700 winners around the world, clinched his third race for the season in the Emirates.
“I still love to ride and I’m enjoying every bit of work I do in the UAE,” the 46 year old said. “I’m just lucky to get some good horses to rides for a freelance jockey.
“It’s my third winner in four rides. I have ridden Purebred Arabians in Tunisia more than 20 years ago, and I am enjoying riding them again.”
Veron had to overcome a wide draw, from Gate 14, but was atop the most convincing winner of the meeting.
RB Money To Burn, a filly making her racecourse debut, spread-eagled the field to win by nine-and-a-half lengths from stable companion Eghel De Pine under Cosgrave in the fourth race.
“She broke well and I went a little bit quickly to settle her in a good position early in the race,” Veron said.
“I had to settle her in a good position early in a 15-runner race. I managed to do that and then she travelled well all the way. She has a lot of speed.”
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Helal Al Alawi and stable jockey William Lee shared a double on their home track with Nizora in the third race and racecourse debutant Ghazwan Al Khalediah in the fifth.
Nizora won twice over the course and distance before stepping up in class in two Group 3 races on Abu Dhabi’s turf last season.
“He’s a nice colt and won very well tonight,” Al Alawi said. “Ghazwan Al Khalediah won even better. He’s got class and we’ll see if he can step up in class with another outing.”
Ben Curtis also completed a double. He powered Musabah Al Muhairi-trained Initial to claim the only thoroughbreds race in the seven-race card meeting. Later, he led Purebred Arabian AF Ramz to victory in the Wathba Stallions Cup.
“The best horse won tonight,” said Curtis, who rode 100 winners for the first time in a calendar year in the British season and now the first jockey for Al Muhairi’s Oasis Stables in Dubai.
“It’s brilliant. I haven’t been here that long. I have got plenty of rides from my stables as well as from other trainers.
“They have had a lot of faith in me. I have ridden five winners, so things have been going well for me.”
