Dubai: Trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam’s season just keeps getting better and better. On Friday, the veteran handler claimed the biggest win of his career in the UAE when Forjatt came out on top in the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile, the feature race of the afternoon, which was sponsored by Shadwell.
Selvaratnam has won major races in his native Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but a major victory has eluded him in the UAE although he did win the Listed Jebel Ali Stakes with Emmrooz in 2011.
It was Forjatt, however, who was supplying the popular handler with his first Group race victory and what a victory it was. With Selvaratnam’s long-time friend and associate, the legendary Lester Piggott, present at Jebel Ali to cheer on Forjatt, the landmark win couldn’t have come at a better stage.
With stable jockey James Doyle in irrepressible form, Forjatt was always going to be in safe hands, and so it was as the talented Englishman rode a patient race, chosing the precise moment to pounce on the front-running Colmar Kid (Silvestre de Sousa) and Haatheq (Paul Hanagan) and deliver his effort.
In a matter of strides, Forjaat hit the front and put the race to bed, leaving Colmar Kid, Haatheq and Gold Pearl to battle it out for the lower placings.
Selvaratnam was delighted to win a first Jebel Ali Mile and said: “I couldn’t be more pleased, particularly now that the race is a Group 3 contest.
“I though Forjaat was a bit unlucky last time, when he narrowly lost to Colmar Kid, but James rode a terrific race on him today. He doesn’t get the mile at Jebel Ali very well although he certainly does at Abu Dhabi and Meydan. He’s most suited to the seven furlongs here and has to be ridden carefully.
“Obviously we’re very happy with what he has shown us today and will probably look at one of the Carnival races for him next.”
Forjaat has had 12 starts in the UAE since leaving Roger Varian’s stable in the UK, with just the one outing at Meydan where he was a respectable sixth to Addictive Dream in a 1200m sprint on the Turf.
Earlier in the afternoon, Emirati handler Musabah Al Muhairi notched his 27th win for the season and 14th at Jebel Ali when Silvester de Sousa rode Damar to victory in the Roma Capannelle Racecourse (Hippo Group) Italy, 1400m handicap.
