Jean de Roualle is already thinking of next season for his champion Purebred Arabian Somoud after his triumph at the Group 1 Emirates Championship in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
The Frenchman is planning to have him ready for another crack at the Dh5million Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown, which was his only blip in five starts this season.
In the title defence of the Emirates Championship, Richard Mullen had Somoud handily placed in the inside rails before pulling away from the 14-runner field to come home by four lengths from his closest challenger Dagui Lotois under Antonio Fresu.
It was also his fourth win in five starts in the season and back-to-back Group 1 victories over the track and trip, taking his career record to 8-5-3 (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
“He’s a champion and he did it easily tonight,” De Roualle said. “We are already thinking about the Jewel Crown next season [in November]. I’m so confident about Somoud.
“He’s a gentleman. He’s a charming horse. He just trains and is gaining so much. I’m happy to wake up at three every morning because this horse gives me everything. I’m so happy.”
“Tonight, there was good pace, which he loves, and he could stay behind and wait,” De Roualle added.
“The jockey didn’t have to use his whip at all. He showed his turn of foot and he did it very easily.”
Somoud’s finished down the field in the Jewel Crown but Mullen took the blame on himself for that disappointment.
Mullen said he was a bit worried because Somoud has been running in every big race this season.
“Full credit to Jean because this horse should have been unbeaten,” he said. “I hold my hands up of a bad jockeyship in the race which we really wanted to win, which was the Jewel Crown.
“Today we had a nice draw [gate 4]. They ran a pace that I was worried. As always you are worried there’s no pace. Once again, full credit to Jean because after he won the President’s Cup the pressure was on him.
“Jean told me to just follow the race and ride him straightforward. It was a dream ride for a jockey because he travels and quickens.”
Mullen completed a treble on the night. He steered Ernst Oertel’s Noof KB in the second race and Mohamed Daggash’s Dergham Athbah in the UAE Arabian Derby.
Mullen on Dergham Athbah produced a strong late run to collar Fabrice Veron atop Eric Lemartinel’s Mujeeb by three-quarter length.
Tadhg O’Shea on AF Mahzmy was the first to attack approaching the 400m mark before Veron on Mujeeb and Fresu atop Foah challenged.
Veron had Mujeeb in front at the furlong mark but had no answer when Mullen pulled up from the outside to get up close to the finishing line to give the Sudanese trainer his biggest career victory.
“He’s an exciting horse and going forward,” Mullen said. “Mohamed has been around for a while assisting everybody and got one on his own tonight.”
Satish Seemar’s Irish Freedom bagged the Group 3 Abu Dhabi Championship, the only thoroughbred prize in the seven-race card.
Fresu took up the running from the 400m mark and kept going strongly to win from Mike de Kock’s Majestic Mambo and Ahmad bin Harmash’s Aydon Castle by two and-a-quarter lengths and half-length, respectively.
