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| Staff Writer |
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The traditional seven races at Al Ain on Friday evening, a meeting highlighted by the 1800m Al Ain Derby, a Prestige contest for 4YO foaled in the UAE and won in determined fashion by AF Mahzamy under a positive Tadhg O’Shea for his main employer, Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda and trainer Ernst Oertel.
Inaugurated in 2016, the owner and trainer became the first dual winners of the prize they also landed in 2017 with AF Taraha, partnered by Antonio Fresu.
Having stalked the leader, Sawt Assalam, O’Shea drove his mount, a homebred colt having just his second start, to take the lead with about 550m remaining and found a resolute partner, initially seeing off a renewed challenge from that rival, then always holding late bids presented by Fahd Al Wathba and then ES Rahmani who snatched second close home. One of eight maidens in a field of 11, AF Mahzamy was well beaten on his only previous start, a 1400m Al Ain maiden, but clearly benefitted from the extra distance and experience gained on that debut 34 days ago, completing a rapid 1800m double on the card for connections in the process.
Also over 1800m, the meeting kicked off with a handicap for horses in private ownership and, like so many such races, O’Shea partnered the winner for Al Nabooda and Oertel.
Having settled AF Yahawa in third, behind stable companion AF Taraha, Pharitz Al Denari and early leader, Inthar, O’Shea went in pursuit of the leader early in the straight. The pair were soon dueling, with Inthar unable to repel the determined O’Shea drive. Homebred, the 6-year-old entire was doubling his career and course tally having won a 1600m Al Ain maiden in November 2019. This was just his second outing of the season having finished fourth over this 1800m course and distance at the end of October on his previous racecourse appearance.
For horses foaled in the UAE, a 1400m maiden, was dominated by trainer Abdallah Al Hammadi, already enjoying his best ever season and saddling winner number 18 for the campaign with Jesus Rosales and Odessy denying Fernando Jara aboard stable companion Ortagon. It had appeared Jara had timed his challenge to perfection, hitting the front entering the final 200m, only to be headed with about 75m remaining by Rosales’ mount, losing her maiden tag at the third attempt having never threatened in either previous start, both over 1600m, here at Al Ain and then on the Abu Dhabi turf. Both first and second are owned by Al Ajban Stables, as have been all the Al Hammadi winners this season.
A capacity field of 15 then went to post for a second 1400m maiden, but once Antonio Fresu and Tayseer hit the front exiting the home bend, there was only going to be one winner, this one saddled for HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan by Eric Lemartinel. Settled in fourth by Italian Fresu, the 4-year-old homebred colt railed in a style a greyhound would have been proud of, seemingly gaining lengths effortlessly to enter the long straight in front. Soon clear, they were never going to be caught, a first win at the fourth attempt, all this season, for Lemartinel’s charge who was producing by far a career best tackling the shortest trip he has faced to date.
It was a similar story in the following 1600m handicap for fillies and mares with Jose Santiago adopting virtually identical tactics with the same end result aboard AF Barari for Yousif bin Ghilan in the colours of Khalfan Hamad Al Qubaisi.
Sat motionless aboard the 7YO mare, Santiago took the shortest route around the race’s only bend and the pair cruised to the front early in the straight, soon skipping clear. The race was in safekeeping with fully 300m remaining with Santiago able to allow his mount to virtually ‘freewheel’ the final 150m. Third over course and distance just last Saturday, this was a second career success for the mare, both over this Al Ain 1400m having won a maiden, for Antonio Fresu, just last March on her final start last season. The current campaign has been a busy one as this was actually her eighth start since starting her new season in the middle of November.
Curated from press release by Dubai Racing Club/ Emirates Racing