AL AIN // Richard Mullen remained on course of the UAE jockeys championship title after his closest challenge Tadhg O’Shea went winless in Thursday night’s final meeting at the Al Ain racecourse.
Mullen leads O’Shea by four winners and has been booked to ride in all six races against the latter’s five in Friday’s final meeting that will decide the champion jockey at Jebel Ali racecourse.
Al Asayl Stables, for whom O’Shea is the first jockey, saddled a “big-race” double, but they were under the Swedish apprentice Shane Karlsson and Royston Ffrench.
Karlsson picked up his biggest prize in his first season in the UAE onboard Najm Alemarat in the Dh 250,000 Al Jahili Al Ain Mile, finishing ahead of stable companion Rb Smokin Rich.
“It has been an extremely good season. I didn’t even plan to ride a winner,” Karlsson said after riding his fourth winner in the UAE.
“My horse was rated higher and I rode it the last time and won. I understand it was his [O’Shea] decision because this horse is not honest. The other one is quite honest.
“He stayed on tonight, but he really didn’t want to do his job. I had to really, really suffer in the first five furlongs. He didn’t do it like the last time he won, but he still got the job done.”
Salem Al Ketbi, the Al Asayl Stables trainer, completed the double when Ffrench found a little more in the tank of Burj Khalifa to win from stable companion Munzade under Oisin Murphy.
O’Shea was beaten to second place on Eswarah in the first race that was won by Ajjaj under Silvestre de Sousa.
Mullen had to settle for second in the next three races. Murphy on Hk Hayzoom edged out Mh Areeb by a head in Race 2, and Ain Jaloot under Wayne Smith got the better of Safina Ghantoot by a length.
Ffrench made all on Ghaamer for a resounding 10-length win from the Mullen-ridden Tiz Now Tiz Then in the Al Ain Mile for the thoroughbreds half an hour later.
Winners’ card from Al Ain
5pm: Zakhir Maiden 1,400m Dh 70,000
Winner: Ajjaj, Silvestre de Sousa (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer).
5.30pm: Al Maqam for Private Stables Handicap (45-65) 2,000m 85,000
Winner: HK Hayzoom, Oisin Murphy, Saifaldin Deeb.
6pm: Falaj Hazza final leg of the Al Ain Print Series Prestige 1,000m Dh 100,000
Winner: Ain Jaloot, Wayne Smith, Eric Lemartinel.
6.30pm: Etihad Airways Al Ain Mile (TB) Conditions 1,600m Dh 150,000
Winner: Ghaamer, Royston Ffrench, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Al Jahil Al Ain Mile Prestige 1,600m Dh 250,000
Winner: Najm Alemarat, Shane Karlsson, Salem Al Ketbi.
7.30pm: Al Basrah final leg of the Al Ain Marathon Series Prestige 5,100m Dh 100,000
Winner: Burj Khalifa, Royston Ffrench, Salem Al Ketbi.
8pm: Al Qattara Maiden 1,600m Dh 70,000
Winner: AF Al Fareed, Noel Garbutt, Ahmed Al Shamsi
apassela@thenational.ae
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