Dubai // On a Thursday night of former Godolphin horses making winning returns after long breaks from the track, Le Bernardin landed the featured 1,600m handicap.
Now trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe, Le Bernardin was making his first start for 630 days and was a comfortable winner under apprentice Saeed Al Mazrouei, who said: “We knew he was in with a big shout and that he was as fit as we could get him at home.
“His form in America was strong and he is a nice new addition to the yard.”
Trainer Satish Seemar and stable jockey Richard Mullen were in treble form and Tahaamah made a winning debut for the pair, winning a 2,000m handicap.
Formerly with Godolphin, for whom he won four times, and off the track since winning in October 2013 in England, Tahaamah was impressive, hitting the front 400 metres out and running on strongly.
Mullen said: “That was a very pleasing first start for us after 400 days off. We were hopeful though as he has plenty of ability and had been working well.
“There should be more to come.”
Satwa Story then completed a quick double for jockey and trainer, on returning from a 438 day break since leaving Godolphin.
They turned a 1,400m handicap into a comfortable victory with Mullen sending Satwa Story to the front 300 metres from home and they stormed clear.
“Again we were hopeful and he did that very nicely although this was probably a weaker race than the previous one,” said Mullen
Stable companion Price Is Truth and Mullen could not have won the following 1,200m handicap more easily, completing a rapid treble for jockey and trainer.
An easy winner at Sharjah at his previous start, he was far too good for 10 rivals last night.
Seemar said: “It has been a really good evening and the horses are running well.
“Price Is Truth has been a revelation on the dirt this season and hopefully can continue to improve.”
The opening 1,600m maiden went to State Law, ridden by Pat Dobbs for trainer Doug Watson who said: “He was an excellent third on his first start for us over 1400m two weeks ago and we were very hopeful this evening.
“Hopefully he is the type to improve with experience and he clearly likes this new surface.”
Seemar and Mullen were second in that race with Year Of Glory and also supplied the runner-up in the concluding 1600m handicap, which was won by Muhtaram, who is trained by Musabah Al Muhair and had former Godolphin jockey Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle.
Improved Bigg N Rich ready for his rival at Al Ain
he feature race in Al Ain’s second meeting of the season on Friday night will see Molahen El Alhan and Bigg N Rich again go head to head.
Ernst Oertel’s locally bred Molahen El Alhan got the better of Bigg N Rich to win the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago.
The gelded son of Al Nasr has won his past three starts and has five career victories from eight starts. On the other hand, Bigg N Rich won twice over the course and distance in Al Ain last season and should be well placed under Wayne Smith.
Tadhg O’Shea, the UAE champion jockey, is on board Molahen El Alhan. He said: “Ernst was very confident before that Abu Dhabi race. The horse certainly did not let him down and it was a good performance. He has to go very close again.”
Bigg N Rich tired in that Abu Dhabi race and finished more than four lengths back in third.
Smith said he thought he would come on from that first run of the season.
“I’m really looking forward to riding him again,” he said. “I did win on him a couple of years ago, and he has improved a lot since then. We are hopeful.”
Haajeb and Ghalib, both in the silks of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed but trained by different trainers in Yousef Al Bloushi and Majed Al Jahouri respectively, pose a challenge along with Doug Watson’s Quite A Show.
- Amith Passela
sports@thenational.ae
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