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| Staff Writer |
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AA Lahab secured an impressive win in the Al Ain Mile, propelling himself to the upper echelons of Purebred Arabians in the Emirates. The horse won the Gr. 3 race by a massive five-length margin, maintaining his unbeaten record on the racecourse. The victory also established him as a significant contender for some of the region's top races in the future.
Trained by Dennis O'Brien, the 5YO horse was initially positioned at the rear of the midfield, while Ss Izz Dubai took the lead with robust fractions. The winner's first encounter at this distance seemed to be on the connections' minds.
The jockey Richard Mullen rode his mount AA Lahab from the back of the field, making his way towards the middle of the track to find a clear path. Once he found one, the horse demonstrated an impressive burst of speed and won the race in a remarkable fashion. This win has established the horse as a potential contender for bigger races in the upcoming season, such as the Al Maktoum Series and the Dubai Kahayla Classic, as he possesses the right combination of speed and stamina.
The first race of the event saw a straightforward performance from Connor Beasley on Raad Albrooq in the 2000m maiden. The horse had previously secured a placing in all three starts, including on his debut, and from draw three, Beasley quickly took his mount to the front. The duo extended their advantage in the straight, and Waheed (Jules Mobian/Eric Lemartinel) managed to grab silver.
In the second race of the card, the 2000m 70-100 rated handicap, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami's winning streak continued as Salb managed to hold on gamely from the fast finishing Smoke N Thunder.
The 8YO horse owned by Royal Cavalry Oman has had a busy season, with a victory on his seasonal reappearance and a fifth-place finish in a Listed event at the same venue. Though he did not perform well in a high-profile race in Oman, he secured his fourth career win in a lower category race.
At the Garden racecourse, the Omani trainer had a successful day with N Kiam winning three races for his stable. In the 1600m maiden event, mounted by Sam Hitchcott, N Kiam held off Mokhlis to emerge victorious. Hitchcott made a strategic move by taking an early, wide turn, which ultimately helped N Kiam secure the win. The third-placed horse, Murhib Al Wathba, ridden by Oscar Chavez and trained by Jean-Claude Pecout, finished almost seven lengths behind the top two horses.
Hitchcott's confident display on Al Asayl's Aljamri in the 1800m open maiden was a perfect warm-up to AA Lahab's remarkable performance in the main event. The 5YO coasted throughout the race, and Hitchcott only had to make a move a furlong from home. Aljamri quickly responded to the jockey's commands and raced ahead to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths, beating AF Tasha'alal (ridden by Tadgh O'Shea and trained by Ernst Oertel) and Mutamaasik (ridden by Mullen and trained by O'Brien).
The 1800m filly and mare restricted maiden race had a confusing finish for those who only relied on the commentary as the commentator Pat Comerford announced the 1-2 finish for the similarly pronounced and spelt names of Maanar and Manar.
Fortunately, the owner of the winner was YAS Racing and the runner-up was owned by Royal Cavalry Oman, which helped to distinguish the winner. Under the guidance of Mobian, Maanar won the race comfortably by six-and-a-half lengths, improving on her debut third.
Later, Mobian secured his double win by riding Alhebi, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, to success in the 1400m 0-80 rated handicap. Though RB Kings Bay, ridden by Qais Al Busaidi and trained by Helal Alalawi, posed a late challenge, Alhebi held on to win by a short head.
AF Al Moreeb, partnered by Pinheiro and trained by Qaiss Aboud, has been a consistent contender at Al Ain, participating in the past five meetings and consistently securing at least a third-place finish. However, his quest for a victory continued to elude him as AF Mukhrej narrowly edged him out at the post by a mere nose in the 1800m 0-75 rated handicap. Despite a fierce battle between the two horses down the stretch, it was the Oertel-trained AF Mukhrej who displayed resilience and determination, ultimately crossing the finish line first under the guidance of apprentice Marcelino Rodrigues.
In the final race of the day, the jockey-trainer pair of Pinheiro and Aboud finally found success as AF Nafith surged ahead to claim victory in the 1000m 0-75 rated handicap, leaving Oertel's AF Qadeh ridden by O'Shea, and stablemate JAP Malawih under Mullen, trailing behind.