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| Sumita Pawar |
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On the final day of racing in 2023, Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his trainer Michael Costa extended their lead over their rivals in the UAE Owners and Trainers Championships with a triple victory. This win puts them in a comfortable position as they head into 2024.
Two of the biggest names in UAE horse racing, Sheikh Ahmed and Costa, are dominating the owners' table with an identical score of 22. Sheikh Ahmed is now way ahead of second-placed Al Ajban Stable, who have only managed nine wins so far, while Costa is nine clear of Bhupat Seemar in the trainers' charts. In the Jockeys' Championship, English rider Connor Beasley is holding sway, despite not winning during the only meeting of the week. His 23 wins for the season keep him six clear of second-placed Bernardo Pinheiro.
The Wathba Stallions Cup, a 0-100 handicap (4yo+), sponsored by Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival, was the only race for Purebred Arabians and kicked off the card. Cristian Demuro claimed the first of his two winners on the afternoon aboard Helal Alalawi’s Itchy De Nacre, who edged Ernst Oertel’s AF Maqam on the line after the photo was called up. South African Oertel was responsible for third-placed AF Rami, who was a further neck back in third under Ryan Curatolo.
Demuro would complete his scoring and take his tally for the campaign up to six after landing the feature event on the card, the 2024 Cup sponsored by Shadwell, with a near similar display aboard Simon and Ed Crisford’s UAE debutante Swing Vote. The filly managed to find that little bit extra needed to clinch the 1600m handicap (0-100) and thwart a late challenge from Salem bin Ghadayer’s Tenbury Wells, who swept in late under Xavier Ziani. Ahmad bin Harmash’s race-favourite Delorean (Beasley) finished a further length-and-a-half behind in third, looking to claim a third-straight C&D win.
The Crisfords might have enjoyed feature race success, but the training plaudits were scalped by Costa on what was another lucrative afternoon for the 'home' team. His first two winners were supplied by his second string, both guided by Jonnatan Castano Mateus, winning for the first time since 2011. The Colombian, a former work rider at Jebel Ali, opened his account with Ajdayet, who led home a 1-2 for his conditioner when rallying to reel in Ghaaleb, ridden by Costa’s retained rider Ben Coen, in the 1400m Al Shafar Investment Cup maiden (3yo+). Ajdayet was a length ahead at the wire with Bin Harmash’s Al Hajaj a further five-and-a-quarter behind in third under Saif Al Balushi.
Mojeyrr underlined his sprinting credentials when making it two-in-two for Costa and Mateus with a brilliant turn of foot in the 1200m ESS Sprint Stakes sponsored by the Emirates Sprint Series (handicap 0-90), which he won by four-and-a-quarter lengths from Atlantic Sky. Imprison took third, a further two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Coen got Wessall to pay Zaman back for an earlier defeat in the card-closing Glorious Summer Stakes (0-95). The four-year-old Dark Angel gelding hit the front 200m out and kicked for a two-and-three-quarters of a length win from Zaman, whose teammate Stormy Ocean was a further head back in third. That win rounded off the scoring for Sheikh Ahmed and Costa.
Bin Harmash and Al Balushi found success in the penultimate race of the afternoon, the Umm Suqeim Stakes (0-75) over 1800m. Coast Sky swatted stable companion Gareth by six lengths with The Magical McCool a further length-and-a-quarter back in third.
Julio Olascoaga-trainee Shababy found winning luck needed to shed his maiden tag on his third start, with the Tonalist colt forced to dig deep by Jose da Silva in the 1600m Bin Dasmal Group Cup maiden for juvenile colts and geldings. He won by three quarters of a length from Velvet Cactus with Muntasir back in third by a similar margin.