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| Rowan Anderson |
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A seven race card to please spectators at Jebel Ali is being served up on Saturday night highlighted by six set for thoroughbreds.
The Emirates Airline handicap, race five, is the highest valued of the card worth AED $80,000 and run over 1400m attracting a field of eight horses.
Uruguayan Julio Olascoaga continues to prove the stable he has brought to the UAE has the ability to compete and that will be the trainers aim with Perfect Love in this handicap.
Carrying the top rating of 90 the Heliostatic x Per Amore colt has 13 starts for 3 wins and five placings to his career to date. This is the first start at Jebel Ali for the 4YO and the seventh start in the UAE for him.
In a race where there are plenty of hopes, it is the 8YO Mayaadeen that piques interest. The gelded son of Invincible Spirit debuted in the UAE in 2019 and has won twice at the track as recently as November last year. Trained by Doug Watson this ride will see Dane O’Neill retained after holding riding duties in seven from his past eight starts.
The Shadwell handicap, race four, is run over 1200m and is worth AED $76,000 attracting a quality field of seven.
The highlight of this race has to be Rayig, the 7YO gelded son of the Australian Exceed and Excel trained by Bhupat Seemar partnered by hoop Tadhg O’Shea, who has ridden the gelding 11 from his 34 starts. His last two starts have been fourth-place finishes but he has won a previous two times over the distance at Jebel Ali.
Race two is the first on the card for the thoroughbreds and has attracted a field of seven and run over 1200m the Commercial Bank of Dubai is worth AED $60,000.
The Bhupat Seemar trained Talentum is the only runner with an official rating (74) and comes into this off the back of a third placing at the track with Tadhg O’Shea retaining the ride.
Treble winner from the weekend South African hoop Francois Herholdt saddles Houb Al Wattan, a 3YO colt trained by Rashed Boursely while the dynamic partnership of Doug Watson and Patrick Dobbs team up again with Hot Cloud.
Race three, the Ascana maiden is also worth AED $60,000 and run over 1200m with a lot more race experience then the first maiden with five carrying official ratings.
The top rated hope is Energetic who will line up for a fourth start for his career and trained by Ismail Mohammed will be urged along by Bernardo Pinheiro. The Dandy Man x Nancy Astor 3YO colt has two starts over the track and distance for a second placing behind Tiger Nation and a fourth placing behind Morning.
Rashad Bouresly prepares three of the nine hopes including a 6YO gelded son of Shamardal, Al Khaldie, who is on career debut which is sure to pique interest of spectators. Boursely’s other trained runners are Imperial Square (8:0-0-1) and Kite Wing (2:0-0-0).
The closing race is the Newbury Racecourse UK handicap and attracting a field of ten is worth AED $72,000.
Untold Secret will be aiming to make it ten career wins when he steps out for Salem bin Ghadayer with Royston Ffrench returning to the saddle. The 11YO gelding returns to the track after his last start 11 days ago and his start previous to that being an impressive close win at Meydan in December. He has won at Jebel Ali on four occasions after making his debut in the UAE in November 2016.
The youngest of the field is the Michael Costa trained 3YO Mouneef who will be looking to improve on a second place finish over the shorter 1600m a fortnight ago. The further distance is sure to assist the Midnight Lute x Delta House colt with Ray Dawson taking over riding.