Al Ain: The 1600m Shadwell Handicap for Purebred Arabian fillies and mares offering a purse of Dh80,000 will be the feature event on a seven race card in the penultimate programme of the season at the Al Ain Racecourse.

Leading Purebred Arabian trainer Eric Lemartinel’s Al Asayl Stables are well represented, with two of the leading chances among the 15-strong field.

Jockey Championship leader Tadhg O’Shea has been booked to partner Al Yawazi, with the trainer’s French compatriot Gerald Avranche named for stable companion Estourah.

Al Yawazi should appreciate the return to Al Ain’s dirt surface after two good runs on the Abu Dhabi turf.

“She made a late start to the season when winning at Al Ain at the beginning of the year,” said O’Shea, who has ridden the six-year-old in both of her career wins. “She has since run two good races at Abu Dhabi and, hopefully, the switch back to dirt will suit her.”

Stable companion Estourah is attempting her first win on dirt with the two victories on her record both gained at Abu Dhabi. The five-year-old was placed on the Al Ain strip two starts back, over the longer 2000 metre trip.

Al Wathba Stables, the UAE’s other Purebred Arabian powerhouse, will be represented by the Nacer Samiri-trained Gozla’An, to be ridden by Freddy Tylicki.

This will be the five-year-old’s eighth start and her fourth on dirt, a surface she has been well beaten on in her three previous attempts.

Surface is not an issue for the Helal Al Alawi-trained Yamina De Monlau, winner of a course and distance maiden in January when ridden by Royston Ffrench, who will be back on board.

Local debutante, Extra Hope, to be ridden by Richard Mullen, looks an interesting new recruit for trainer Beverley Deutrom, who will be saddling just her seventh runner of the campaign.

“She is a nice mare,” said Deutrom, about the horse with a one from six record in her native US. “It is not easy to assess what she achieved in America so we should find out more about her.”

O’Shea, who will start the weekend’s racing schedule with 40 wins on the board, is an interesting booking for the Abdullah Bin Huzaim-prepared Copperbelt in the 1400 metres Thoroughbred Handicap.

The five-year-old won a 1200 metres Jebel Ali maiden on his local debut just over 12 months ago but has been unplaced in three subsequent runs, all this campaign, the latest when sixth behind stablemate Festival City at Jebel Ali last week.

Mullen rides the Satish Seemar-trained Ru’Oud, a course and distance winner at the end of January before struggling over 1600 metres when switched to Meydan.

Jebel Ali trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam, enjoying his best campaign since the 2011/12 season, will be represented by the Chris Hayes-ridden Here Now — who may appreciate the flatter surface following two unplaced efforts at his home track since arriving from the UK.