Rowan Anderson |
It was a bell ringer of a contest in the HH The President Cup Prep but there was no denying the older statesman Somoud of the win.
Passing through the pack Antonio Fresu took the 9YO through to hit the lead 300m out winning by a short head to the Salem Al Ketbi trained Mujeeb.
Currently rated 118 the Munjiz x Wadya entire is sure to see a rise this week after that performance impressing trainer Jean de Roualle.
“I am very happy and Antonio gave him a perfect ride off a slow pace and did not give the horse a hard race which was ideal with the big race a month away. He won this prep two years ago and then won the main race so hopefully he can do so again because he was penalised today and probably only 80% fit.”
He has won the past two main events in the President Cup and took out this Prep race two years ago by the exact short head margin.
It was a night out in Abu Dhabi for hoops Fresu and O’Shea who took a treble and double respectively.
Tadhg O’Shea sits dominantly at the top of the Jockey’s Championship for the season and he continued that run onboard Muram in the Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic over 1400m for four year olds. The Thakif x Munafisat Al Reef daughter shot clear with 275m remaining putting on a clinic and winning by 5.5 lengths and was never going to be denied her second career success, on her fourth start, for Jaber Bittar and Al Reef Stables.
“Luckily I was available to ride her tonight and she was very professional. She had good form in the book and has delivered the goods. This 1400m, perhaps 1600m, seem ideal for her,” O’Shea said.
O’Shea’s other win for his riding double came in the only Thoroughbred race on the card, the concluding 1600m handicap, partnering Western Winter to victory for Bhupat Seemar.
Thirty minutes later it was the colts turn in the Abu Dhabi Classic for them proved harder for Fadwaan winning delivering a treble for jockey Fresu. The ride was impressive as ever from the Italian, this time in the colours of Al Rahmani Racing for Ahmed Al Mehairbi, a second winner on the card for the trainer.
“It has been a great night and I am lucky to be aboard these good horses. To be honest I think he was happier on the Al Ain dirt last time but he trains on dirt and this was obviously a stronger race so hopefully he can build on this, on either surface,” Fresu commented on the ride.
The first win on the card for Fresu’s treble came in race two, set for horses in private ownership, and came off the back of another close finish. Es Sudani trained by rookie trainer Hamad Al Marar snatched the win by a head in the colours of Salem Al Murshed Al Marar.
Fresu currently ranks second on Jockey’s Championship ladder eleven wins behind O’Shea but as the season progresses, he will continue to through down a challenge with fellow talented Irish hoops Dobbs and Dawson in hot pursuit.