Tadhg O’Shea ends ‘tremendous season’ in Abu Dhabi with Emirates Championship victory on Mahbooba

Tadhg O'Shea and Mahbooba race to victory in the Emirates Championship at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday. Pawan Singh / The National

ABU DHABI // Mahbooba bounced back from two disappointing Group 1 races to claim her biggest career prize in the Dh1 million Emirates Championship for Purebred Arabian on Sunday at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

The Eric Lemartinel-trained mare by Bibi De Carrere had finished fifth in the President’s Cup and been unplaced on the dirt of Meydan in her previous Group 1 races last month, but the third outing proved to be much more productive.

“There were excuses for her in both those races,” Lemartinel said of the previous two losses.

“She came out of the gates well and Tadhg (O’Shea) had her well placed in the race for a convincing win.”

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Jockey O’Shea had Mahbooba tucked in third behind stable companion Abhaar under Gerald Avranche and Aslaan ridden by Patrick Cosgrove for much of the 2,200-metre trip.

O’Shea sent Mahbooba to the front as the field swept on to the home stretch and then powered away to win by three lengths from stable companion Nashmee under Harry Bentley. Fernando Jara rode Babel D’Aillas to third.

O’Shea completed a double by taking the Wathba Cup in the final race on the Ernst Oertel-trained AF Maher to take his tally to 48 winners, three behind the leader Richard Mullen.

“It has been a tremendous season,” said the Irishman, the leading jockey in Abu Dhabi.

“I’m fortunate that I ride for two main stables (Ali Rashid Al Raihe’s Grandstand and Al Lemartinel’s Al Asayl Stables). It’s been a privilege to be in this position.

“There is lot of pressure but I try not to think too much about it. There are some beautiful horses and good breeding programme and it is my job to sustain that and keep moving forward.”

British champion jockey Jim Crowley also completed a double for his main patron Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid.

He rode Al Zahir to a convincing win in the Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown R3 and took the Group 3 Abu Dhabi Championship for the thoroughbreds on the Erwan Charpy-trained Zamaam.

Crowley got his mount up in the last stride to beat the Colm O’Donoghue-ridden Sharpalo, Carbon Dating under O’Shea and Bernard Fayd’Herbe atop Shanshaawes.

Al Zahir was completing two from two local starts while Maisoor stretched his unbeaten run to nine to become the first horse from Oman to win the UAE Arabian Derby.

“Maisoor has won his races quite easily and will be one to be reckoned with for some big prizes next season,” said Al Badi, his handler.

“He’s still a baby and I would like to think he’ll be a horse for the Dubai Kahayla Classic (the traditional opener of the Dubai World Cup card) next season.”

Ali Rashid Al Raihe had similar sentiments for Al Zahir. The Emirati trainer added: “He’s won both his local starts with the minimum effort and he’s versatile.

“He can handle both the turf and the dirt. He’s a horse with a lot of promise.”

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