AL AIN // With five successful afternoon meetings on an all-weather synthetic track in their inaugural season last year, Al Ain Racecourse on Friday welcomed their second programme of 10 evening fixtures on a new dirt surface under floodlights.
Their first events were well attended last season, and there was another healthy crowd last night to witness the action, aided by an extended public enclosure, a new large screen and a large tent with a bank of televisions.
A “drone” or helicopter camera was in operation by the Dubai Racing Channel for the first time to provide previously unseen camera angles and shots.
Not surprisingly, the track was described by the jockeys as “a bit deep and slow”, but that is to be expected and the consensus was that it will be a great new addition to the local racing scene.
A meeting that began as the sun went down ended under a full moon with the powerful floodlights seen to full affect.
The best receptions of the evening were for the two winners prepared by champion trainer Ernst Oertel for Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE – RB Smokin Rich and debutant RB Torch, who landed the featured 1,400-metre conditions race and a 1,400m maiden, respectively.
Both were ridden by Tadhg O’Shea and were the first two races staged after the affect of the lights was truly noticeable.
O’Shea said: “They are both nice, young horses. RB Torch showed his inexperience at times during the race but showed his quality when it mattered.
“RB Smokin Rich won twice on the Abu Dhabi turf last season and was having a first race on dirt, but he works well on it at home so we were hopeful. It would be nice to think they will both carry on progressing.”
It was a landmark evening for jockey Royston Ffrench, who notched his 200th UAE winner with Majd Abu Dhabi’s success in the first of two 1,000m handicaps for trainer Hardy Hotger.
The trainer has a small stable of six horses and saddled his first UAE winner last Saturday.
Ffrench said: “It is great to reach 200, and I just have to thank all the trainers and owners who have supported me.”
Apprentice George Buckell earned his first victory of the season in the concluding event, the second 1,000m handicap, in which he was victorious on Safina Ghantoot for Helal Al Alawi.
The young jockey said: “It is great to get one on the board, and hopefully more will follow.”
The distinction of winning the first race of the new Al Ain era went to Respect Me and Wayne Smith. They took the opener, an 1,800m maiden and the only thoroughbred race on the card, for trainer Ismail Mohammed.
Smith said: “That is the perfect start to my Al Ain season, and it is great to get an early winner for the new boss.”
Smith’s old boss, Musabah Al Muhairi, had the evening’s other winner, Alameer, who was far too good in a 1,600m maiden. Dane O’Neill was in the saddle.
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