Six different jockeys, trainers and owners got to share the six prizes on offer at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday.
The pick of the winners was the Erwan Charpy-trained Juthoor under Jim Crowley in the silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid in the only race for the thoroughbreds.
Crowley came from back of the field and around a wall of horses to still win convincingly by two-and-three-quarter lengths from Mashaheer, another Sheikh Hamdan runner.
“He ran on the dirt last time and he didn’t quite like it,” said Crowley, the retained jockey of the owner. “I’m not saying he’s not good on the dirt but he lacks a bit of pace in the stalls, but it didn’t matter back on the turf tonight.”
Tadhg O’Shea and Richard Mullen, who are in a two-way battle for the UAE jockey’s championship race with 26 and 27 winners respectively, rode a winner each to bring the curtains down on a busy four days of race meetings in Dubai, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.
O’Shea won the second race on the Ernst Oertel-trained AF Saabah. Mullen atop MH Tawag claimed the fourth for Elise Jeanne. Later he paid tribute to Jeanne for the manner in which she prepared MH Tawag.
“I had a horse that was turned to the perfection,” the British rider said. “He travelled around very well. I was very fortunate to get the ride and I say we can’t win without a good horse and all credit for her training abilities.”
O’Shea, who had to be content with the runner-up spot on board AF Makerah in the opener, was successful in the following race. He made all on AF Saabah to win by more than two lengths from the Ben Curtis-ridden Marwa W’Rsan.
“She would have won the last time at Al Ain on the sand over the seven-furlong but the stamina run out,” the reigning UAE champion jockey said. “This race came up on turf and with her natural speed, had her in front and she overcame all her challengers.”
The Helal Al Alawi-trained Dasan Da recovered from a slow start to come from last to first under Emirati apprentice Saeed Al Mazrooei to take the opener for back-to-back wins.
“The start didn’t seem to have any impact on him because he travelled well and had plenty left in the tank to win pretty well at the end,” Al Mazrooei said of the seven-year-old gelding by Majd Al Arab.
“I was riding him for the second time and have now won both times. He’s a good horse and seems to love this track.”
