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| Staff Writer |
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On Sunday afternoon, the second stop of the 2023-24 Emirates racing season takes place at the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club. The day's six-race programme includes the HE Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Cup, which is the marquee event. The 1700m handicap race for 4YO and older horses with a maximum rating of 90 is one of five Purebred Arabian events and has an impressive field of 14 competitors.
Of particular interest are the Ernst Oertel-trained horses, AF Afham and AF Musannef, who are teammates and carry the colours of multiple UAE Champion Owner Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda. Although Oertel and Al Nabooda also have AF Layth in the field, first choice rider Tadhg O’Shea chose to partner with AF Afham, which highlights the chance of the AF Alsalaam entire despite this being his racecourse debut. AF Afham has won three of his nine starts and was last seen finishing fourth on Abu Dhabi's turf on the final day of the last season.
AF Musannef, a son of AF Al Buraq, has an impressive record of 7-7-1 from 33 starts and has shown a clear fondness for turf. Although he may benefit from his experience at the Sharjah track, he is conceding weight to all others. Another horse to watch is Jean-Claude Pecout's Shamakh, who could benefit from the substantial drop in trip with top rider Ryan Curatolo expected to keep him alert to the demands of a shorter trip.
The card starts with a pair of maidens - 1200m and 1000m - for UAE bred horses, followed by two handicaps for runners aged four and above. The first handicap is a 1700m contest for UAE-bred horses with a maximum rating of 75, and the latter is a 2000m handicap for those rated until 65. UAE Champion Trainer Doug Watson misses Sharjah’s first Thoroughbred contest, a 1700m handicap for 3YOs, with the American’s first choice rider, Dobbs, taking one of two spots on the pair being sent out by Emirati conditioner Ahmad bin Harmash, responsible for Dubai Vision and Al Jaddaf.