Abu Dhabi: Jockeys Antonio Fresu and Pat Dobbs bagged a double each for different trainers in the penultimate race meeting at the capital course yesterday.
Fresu first led AF Asheham from start to finish to clinch the opening race of the evening, the 1400m Delma by two and quarter lengths ahead of Shah Jahan De Rodaim, ridden by Royston Ffrench.
Tadhg O’Shea on Af Laowahah was third another three quarter lengths behind.
The Italian, in his first season in the UAE, then completed a double for the evening on Cheik Roque when he won a head-to-head battle with Ffrench’s Da’areen.
Fresu just managing to get Cheik Roque across the line by a neck after Ffrench’s had led Da’areen all the way. Here too, O’Shea had to settle for the third spot on Deyaar.
“You know this horse Cheik Roque has been running quite consistently. He won here earlier in the year and this was his second winner. We will see if we can find him another race before the end of this season,” said trainer Erwan Charpy.
Dobbs won the second race on Arif and the last race on Indescribable by a short head against Ejbaar under Richard Mullen.
O’Shea’s hunt for glory for the evening finally came in the fifth race - Wathba Stud Farm Cup for Private Owners.
He led Ernst Oertel-trained IBN Harmany Al Zobair to victory over Ffrench and Helal Al Alawi-trained Naiem by one and quarter lengths. Coming third, another two and quarter lengths behind was IBN Harmany Al Zobair’s stable mate AF Khafajeh ridden by Mullen.
“I was shoving and pushing a long way out but he I knew could finish even seven furlongs well. This is minimum trip and obviously it was going to play to his strength,” said a delighted O’Shea.
Results: Race 1: Delma PA - Maiden 1400M(a7F) – Turf AED 80,000: 1st AF Asheham (Ernst Ortel) Antonio Fresu, 2nd Shah Jahan De Rodaim, 3rd Af Laowahah (AE) Distance: 2.25 lenghts, Timing: 01:31:80; Race 2: Bibi De Carrere PA - Handicap 1400M(a7F) – Turf AED 80,000: 1st Arif (I Al Hadhrami) Patrick Dobbs by 0.5 lengths, 2nd Dhamin, 3rd Af Hakeem. Distance: 0.5 lengths. Timing: 01:30:20; Race 3: Mizzna PA - Conditions 1600M(a8F) – Turf AED 80,000: 1st Bushrah Al Reef (A Al Hammadi) Fernando Jara, 2nd Aljazi, 3rd Silk Stockings Distance: 1lengths. Timing: 01:43:88; Race 4: Al Dinari PA - Handicap 1600M(a8F) – Turf AED 85,000: 1st Cheik Roque (E Charpy) Antonio Fresu, 2nd Da’Areen, 3rd Deyaar. Distance NK. Timing: 01:43:02; Race 5: Wathba Stud Farm Cup For Private Owners Only PA - Handicap 1200M(a6F) – Turf AED 70,000: 1st Harmany Al Zobair (E Oertel) Tadhg O’Shea, 2nd Naiem, 3rd Af Khafajeh. Distance: 1.25 lengths. Timing: 01:17:88; Race 6: Gee Whizz TB - Handicap 1400M(a7F) – Turf AED 100,000: 1st Indescribable (Doug Watson) Patrick Dobbs, 2nd Ejbaar, 3rd Emirates Airline. Distance: NS. Timing: 1:22.43
