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| Sumita Pawar |
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English jockey Connor Beasley dominated at the Jebel Ali Racecourse on Saturday, winning three races including the Union Day Stakes riding Ahmad bin Harmash's Delorean. Delorean led from the start and remained uncontested, with the 4YO Time Test gelding pulling clear once Beasley urged him on with 500m left.
Jose da Silva rode Ismail Mohammed's Justice Protecol to a third-place finish, while Michael Costa's Mersaal, the race-favorite, was unable to mount a challenge. Beasley won his first race with trainer Abdallah Al Hammadi's Maddah Al Reef, and then took home the Year of Sustainability Stakes sponsored by CBD with Bin Harmash-trained Rasas.
Jebel Ali-resident trainer Costa also won twice, and jockey Ryan Curatolo won the 2nd of December Stakes 1400m maiden sponsored by Al Shafar atop Musabbeh Al Mheiri-trained Haasim. The event culminated with Salem bin Ghadayer's Attribution winning the Ghaf Tree Stakes (Hcp 0-85, 1600m) after a hard ride from Royston Ffrench.
The recent celebration of the UAE's 52nd National Day saw trainer Michael Costa and rider Ben Coen inch closer to the top of the Trainers' Championship leaderboard at Jebel Ali.
As the founder and patron of Jebel Ali Racecourse, Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is Costa's sole client, and Mersaal is one of his top chances in the Union Day Stakes. The 5YO Ghostzapper gelding is known for his thunderous finish up the hill and will run in the feature event of the afternoon, a handicap for runners rated 0-100, contested over a mile. Mersaal's three-length victory on his last start marked his seasonal bow, and with Coen taking over from Qaid Al Busaidi, he will be a tough nut to crack. Mersaal's record at the course currently reads three in six, and he will be looking to improve on that record and claim victory in this week's Shadwell-sponsored feature event.
Costa will not be taking the field lightly, with Ismail Mohammed's track specialist Justice Protecol being one of the major threats. Justice Protecol has three course and distance wins and one over an 1800m trip at Saturday's venue. Ahmad bin Harmash's Delorean is also a contender, having progressed after finishing runner-up on his first start during the opening meeting of the season.
Tenbury Wells, a two-time track and trip winner, is another to watch, with jockey Royston Ffrench hoping to add to his tally of three for the season. The seven-race card includes six Thoroughbred contests and a 1400m maiden for Purebred Arabians.