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| Rowan Anderson |
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Abu Dhabi will showcase purebred Arabian racing talent with a six race card for their Thursday meeting highlighted by the Group Three Al Ruwais.
The Al Ruwais is worth AED $300,000 and run over the 1,200 metres has drawn seven runners with the Ernst Oertel trained 6YO Af Alajaj the stand out.
With the highest rating on the entire card (114) his two poor showings in two Group Ones should be forgotten; the Al Maktoum Challenge R1 (15th) and Dubai Kahayla Classic (11th) as he has performed well previously winning Group 2 Bani Yas and Group 2 Mazrat Al Ruwayah last season.
Oertel also prepares the 7YO Af Majalis who has raced exclusively at Abu Dhabi with 17 starts and victorious on six times and a further six times. He returns after racing 20 days ago and winning by a nose.
Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda owns them both and sits atop the owners championship clear by eight wins.
The card also features the Listed Arabian Triple Crown Round 1 which will see a field of six contest the 1600m journey.
Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi saddles Nadia Du Loup who with her 107 rating is the strongest hope in this race.
In her UAE debut last start she showed what she had in her 4YO engine thumping the field winning by 11 lengths at the Abu Dhabi track. Prior to this victory she won a Group 3 at Toulousse in a tight finish winning over Jarra’ah Athbath by 0.5 lengths.
Unleashed is another great chance in this having won the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship by a neck over Alghabraa under the talented hoop Tadhg O’Shea for trainer Jaber Bittar. The 4YO filly Alghabraa will return in this race and look to turn the tables for her first local victory in her second start at the track.
Bassam Al Wathba won in his first career start 20 days ago at this track and over the 1400m for trainer Majed Al Jahoori with the 4YO colt showing he had a lot to offer the Al Wathba Racing ownership team.
The Prestige Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club Gold Cup attracts the largest field for the night with the full 16 to travel the 1600m in the AED $125,000 race.
Khalifa Al Neyadi prepares four in the contest including the top hope Af Sanad who has not tasted victory since the Group Three Al Ain Mile last season but will be fresh and ready for this one.
Last year’s winner in the Abubakar Daud trained Jawal Al Reef returns to defend his title after beating home Hameem by a short nose.