Richard Mullen secures rare President’s Cup double in Abu Dhabi

Jockey clinches wins in Purebred Arabians and thoroughbreds categories

Richard Mullen celebrates as he crosses the finish line on Somoud in the Group 1 President’s Cup for Purebred Arabians in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, February 21, 2021. Courtesy ERA

Richard Mullen had a night to remember in Abu Dhabi as he achieved a rare feat by winning both the President’s Cup for Purebred Arabians and the thoroughbreds on Sunday.

Mullen won the Dh2.5 million Group 1 prize on board Jean de Roualle’s Purebred Arabian Somoud and brought Medahim home in the Listed thoroughbred race for his main employer Satish Seemar half hour later.

Somoud replicated the President’s Cup Prep win in a re-match against Omani raider AF Mughader by a length and a quarter before steering Medahim to his first win in five local starts.

Drawn out of the wide gate 9, Mullen managed to settle Somoud in a nice position in fourth. He made good progress at the 700m mark before taking up the running to stay on well to win from Omani raider AF Mughader by a length and-a-quarter.

“Our main concern was obviously gate 9 but I was able to get a nice slot down the fence,” Mullen said.

“I was always very comfortable and travelling well. It was a matter of when to get a run. I would like to have waited a bit longer but when the gap comes you have to take it. It was a great performance.”

Mullen rode a similar race on Medahim, but in a bigger field, to come from the middle of the pack to win from Moqtarreb by a length and-a-half.

“It was a great performance,” he said of his second winner of the night. “He travelled extremely well. I felt seven furlongs around here would see him better. It was very well deserved.”

Earlier, Hameem took the Emirates Colts Classic to stretch his winning streak to six and complete a double on the night for the Emirati trainer Abdallah Al Hammadi.

Adrie de Vries, who has now won in five of his six starts, didn’t have to move a muscle to bring the valiant Boy colt home a length and three quarter lengths ahead of Omani the trainer Ibrahim Al Hadhrami’s Samau Xmnsor.

“He travelled lovely for me and jumped a little bit better than last time,” De Vries said.

“We didn’t want to make things difficult. He tracked the leader and did it in a nice way. I think he got plenty of confidence from this run for the next one. I was drawn in the outside gate and I just wanted to keep it simple for him.”

Harry Bentley had earlier steered Al Hammadi’s Whistle to take the second race and bring up the 100-winner milestone for the Al Ajban Stables.

Antonio Fresu took the Emirates Fillies Classic on Eric Lemartinel’s Mumayaza.