Review: Loolwa Dominates Races Under Pinheiro

Loolwa made an unstoppable run to the front during the race, finishing nearly eight lengths ahead of Adil Mouchahi’s Idris Des Arnets, ridden by Jesus Rosales.

Al Mahbooba, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, finished second, three-quarters of a length behind Loolwa in the third and final leg of last year’s series over 5100m. It was her best performance in one of the four defeats by the stunning 7YO Madjani mare. However, Al Mahbooba, ridden by Connor Beasley and trained by Ibrahim Al Hadhrami this season, wasn't going to lose again to Loolwa, who was proclaimed champion after a sensational gate-to-wire effort under Bernardo Pinheiro.

Pinheiro eased Loolwa back a little before going down the final stretch, which allowed Hakeem, Oxford, and Al Mahbooba to reduce the deficit and emerge as her only rivals. However, once Loolwa was asked for a proper effort in the straight, she increased her tempo, with Dennis O’Brien’s Hakeem being the only one looking threatening before finishing a length and a quarter in arrears under Richard Mullen. Al Mahbooba finished third, 12-and-a-half lengths behind Loolwa.

Saatli, ridden by Sandro Paiva and trained by Saif Al Marar, won the Al Khaznah 2000m maiden by six and three-quarters of a length from Zayd, trained by Majed Al Jahoori and ridden by Pinheiro. Anafah won the Mezied, 2000m maiden under Denis O’Brien and Richard Mullen, accelerating sharply late in the race to win by 14-and-three-quarter lengths.

O'Brien and Mullen found themselves back in the winners’ enclosure with AA Lahab, who gathered momentum heading into the straight and snatched the lead off Al Laith to win by six-and-a-half lengths from Zaidan Al Wathba. Pat Dobbs, riding Saqqara King, trained by Doug Watson, won the Al Khobaisi 0-75 handicap by a length and three-quarters from Bhupat Seemar’s Bosphorus.

Dobbs ended the day with a double after a gritty effort from Helal Alalawi’s AA Burning Crescent helped him to success in the Shabbat Al Rawdah 1400m maiden. Marcelino Rodrigues’ rode Ernst Oertel’s AF Almoheeb to victory in the Wathba Stallions Cup for Private stables 0-75 handicap, while Tadhg O’Shea rode Ahmed Al Mehairbi’s Alwarry to victory in the 1800m Al Markhaniyah 0-90 handicap. Oscar Chavez rode Sultanat to victory in the Remah 1400m maiden, finishing ahead of Al Jahoori’s Taahir, ridden by Bernardo Pinheiro.