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| Staff Writer |
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Al Ain will host the final meeting of the 2023-24 season on Friday, featuring a ten-race card with the Listed Al Ain Cup as the highlight. The 2000m feature race is worth AED100,000 and has always drawn a top-quality field. This year is no exception, with several horses rated above 100 competing.
One of the top contenders is RB Frynchh Dude, trained by Abubakar Daud and rated 110. He has had a successful campaign this term, starting off at a career-low mark of 97 but crossing the century mark again with a few top performances. His latest three-length defeat in the Gr.1 Emirates Championship and fourth-place finish in Round 3 of the Al Maktoum Challenge on Emirates Super Saturday have helped him regain his momentum at the highest level, making him one of the likelier prospects to win the season’s final feature.
Trainer Majed Al Jahoori’s Faaris, ridden by Bernardo Pinheiro, is another contender. After an explosive seasonal reappearance at Al Ain last December, he has been tested in deeper waters in races at Meydan and Abu Dhabi, both at Gr.1 level. Although he was unable to win there, he is expected to benefit from returning to Al Ain, where he remains unbeaten in both starts. Al Mahbooba, ridden by Sam Hitchcott and trained by Ibrahim Al Hadhrami, will also compete. This appears to be her last chance to win before the season ends, having missed an intended run in the final leg of the Al Ain Marathon Series. Her only run over and around this sort of a trip came in the same race won by Faaris last December, in which she was beaten six lengths.
Musabbeh Al Mheiri’s Rajeh is another interesting prospect. Although he had a dismal effort in the Emirates Championship, this event represents a sharp drop in grade for him. He appears to be a horse who should be suited by the sweeping bends of Al Ain, with Jules Mobian picking up the ride.
The 0-90 rated handicap for the Purebred Arabians over the 1800m trip has been split into two divisions, with the Eric Lemartinel-trained YAS Racing-owned Rajih looking strong in the first division. He impressed on his local debut with a 13-length win and is expected to improve on that as he seeks to bolster his claims for next season’s campaign.
With three thoroughbred races this weekend, the trainers’ championship could all come down to Al Ain’s mile handicap for 0-80 rated thoroughbreds. Dubai World Cup-winning trainer Bhupat Seemar and Jebel Ali Stables’ resident handler Michael Costa are currently tied. These last few races of a lengthy season could prove to be decisive if it is not all done and dusted by the end of the previous day’s Abu Dhabi fixture.
Costa relies on Moojdee, who looked like he needed the run on his first appearance in more than 18 months at Meydan over an inadequate 1200m trip. Seemar dispatches four with Ghost Of The Mambo, who boasts the services of Champion Jockey-elect Tadgh O’Shea.
With a plethora of consistent runs this term, the seven-year-old gelding can perhaps bid this season goodbye on a winning note. Another notable contender is last time out winner on the turf, Poster Paint. He has proved a revelation since switching to front-running tactics and is likely to replicate the same here, but the Al Ain dirt may prove to be a challenge for him.
Perfect Balance and Al Maroom complete the challenge for the yard. With the Dubai World Cup finally ticked off the list, can one of this quartet give Zabeel Stables a fitting send-off?