Al Raihe partners Ffrench to score a treble

Dubai: After last week's Jebel Ali double, trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe combined with stable jockey Royston Ffrench to go one better as the pair registered a treble, winning three consecutive.

Stable stalwart Jet Express started the ball rolling in the 1,400-metre conditions race, before Fathayer won the afternoon's feature, also a conditions race but over 1,800 metres. The prep race for the Jebel Ali Stakes was a decent contest and a nice performance from Fathayer who won on the Abu Dhabi turf on his seasonal return.

Palm Court then won a 1,600-metre handicap to cap a fine afternoon for both jockey and trainer.

Good form

Ffrench explained: "The horses have been in good form all season and hopefully that can continue. We know Jet Express likes it here and the Jebel Ali Mile, in which he was second last season, will be the target. Fathayer could go for that but the Jebel Ali Stakes is perhaps more likely as stamina should not be a problem."

A third thoroughbred conditions race on the card, over the minimum trip of 1,000 metres, was won by Hammadi, winner of last season's Jebel Ali Sprint over the same course and distance. He is trained by Doug Watson, who was also responsible for runner-up Alsadeek and both horses are owned by Malih Al Basti.

Ted Durcan rode the winner and Watson said: "We were very hopeful of big runs from both but a 1-2 is more than we could have hoped for. Both have run great races."

The opening Purebred Arabian maiden, over 1,400 metres, was won by Wayne Smith on the Bakhit Al Ketbi-trained Dahdah, while a second 1,600-metre handicap went to the Satish Seemar-trained Blues Ballad in the hands of Richard Mullen.