Thakif makes up for lost time to win President’s Cup for Purebred Arabians

Harry Bentley unleashed a strong run on the home stretch to win by a half-a-length from Gerald Avranche and Abu Alabyad in the Dh3 million Group 1 race over 2,200 metres, writes Amith Passela.

Harry Bentley rode Thakif to victory in the Group 1 HH President Cup at the Equestrian Club on Sunday, February 14, 2016. DELORES JOHNSON / The National

ABU DHABI // Stripped of his win 12 months ago, Thakif returned to win the The President’s Cup for Purebred Arabians and underline his superiority over Abu Alabyad in their rematch in the capital on Sunday.

Harry Bentley, reunited with the eight-year-old chestnut son of Mahabb, had him well-placed in the middle of the field before unleashing a strong run on the home stretch to win by a half-a-length from Gerald Avranche and Abu Alabyad in the Dh3 million Group 1 race over 2,200 metres.

Thakif was first past the finishing line last year but was disqualified for a failed drugs test.

Abu Alabyad, the runner-up in that race, was promoted as the winner.

“He brought back some memories of last year,” said Bentley, who was appointed as the stable jockey for the Newmarket-based trainer Roger Varian earlier in the week. “He was deadly over this strip. I was always thinking to push him a bit but he was too fast in the end. He has got a lot better with age. He now knows how to stick his head out and perform.”

Nacer Samiri, Thakif’s trainer, said the next stop is the Emir’s Cup in Qatar in two weeks and thereafter the Kahayla Classic, the traditional opener of the Dubai World Cup meet in March.

“The President’s Cup was his main target and he’s won that in style of a champion tonight,” said the Moroccan, who took charge of the Al Wathba Stables in the summer.

“He’s versatile and can run well on both the dirt and the turf, and over any distances from 1,400m to 2,400m.”

Ghaamer under Paul Hanagan made all the running to bag the Listed thoroughbred equivalent of the President’s Cup in a tight finish from the Mike de Kock-trained Zahee and the favourite Forjatt.

“He like to be there in the front and Paul rode a perfect race,” said the winning trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

“He was beaten by Forjatt in the National Day Cup over 1,600m on this track but that’s not his best distance. The shorter 1,400m trip tonight is his best.”

Eric Lemartinel, who saddled the runner-up Abu Alabyad in the President’s Cup, drew some consolation by saddling a double, winning the Fillies Classic with Al Jazi and the final race on the card with Molahen El Alhan to take his tally to 23 winners.

Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport