Abu Dhabi: Tadhg O’Shea has reclaimed the UAE Champion Jockey title that he lost to Richard Mullen last year by four winners.
With only the World Cup left, the Irish jockey is six clear of Patrick Dobbs, who is on 39. O’Shea in the last meeting at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club rode two winners, including Mahbooba in the UAE Arabian derby, on Sunday.
Mahbooba, of Al Asayl stables, was challenged by the serial drifter Sniper De Monlau in the home stretch. However, this time round, Royston Ffrench couldn’t breach the ground that Sniper De Monlau lost by hanging badly to the left. O’Shea stuck to the right railing and kept it steady and won by two lengths, more convincingly than their two previous meetings. She had won by a short head in the first meeting and had lost to Sniper De Monlau by a similar margin in the next, both in the Arabian Triple Crown rounds two and three.
“She won one round of the Triple Crown and so this was an important race for a filly to win and even more for Al Asayl Stables. By next year or the year after that she will be a lovely Purebred. Tonight my filly was pretty straight forward and so it sat box seat. Thankfully she obliged well towards the end,” said O’Shea adding that he kept seeing Sniper De Monlau fast approaching from the corner of his eye but kept going. “It is very hard when you go that wide and thankfully he did that and I kept my filly straight,” said O’Shea, who was the UAE Champion jockey three times in a row from 2012 to 2014.
The Al Asayl trainer Eric Lemartinel then went to win a big race double; Abhaar under Wayne Smith making every yard of the running to clinch the Dh1 million Group One Emirates Championship. It was Lemartinel’s first Group 1 winner since taking charge of the Al Asayl stables, replacing the South African Ernst Oertel.
“I’m very happy for Abhaar as this is the first time he has run in the 2200m but he did a very good job. I just told Wayne the speed he has to go,” said Lemartinel, who with the result has now saddled 35 winners and 66 either finishing second or third.
“Obviously it is a wonderful season for me at Al Asayl Stables. It was a total change for me, with plenty of good horses, big facilities and (having) to adapt to the new surroundings. I think we have done pretty well and hopefully we will do better next season,” added the Frenchman.
Smith had Abhaar quickly out of the gate and was out in front. He then held on to the late challenge from the Harry Bentley ridden Sha’Red to win by a head.
“The horse gave me a good ride and as he pounced through the gate, he was travelling really well. I gave him a nice breather at the back-stretch and half a mile out I just started to wind it up. Harry Bentley came to me but my lad didn’t lay down as he is tough and didn’t let any horse pass,” said a delighted Smith.
In the third race, Paul Hanagan’s Khusoosy upped the tempo towards the end to win in a tight finish getting past stable-mate Munaaser, ridden by O’Shea. With 25 yards to go, Khusoosy overtook Munaaser and was first across the line by a short head. Rembrandt Van Rijn ridden by Ffrench was unlucky in third as he had to wait behind a wall of horses for an opening to appear.
“It took time to get to top gear. Munaaser nearly stole it and it was really tight out there. My lad took time to get there and the firmer it went the better and we got there in the end. Rembrandt was also finishing fast,” said Hanagan.
Khusoosy’s Emirati trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe also completed a double, when AF Maqayes won the Wathba Cup to take his tally to 40, but far behind the UAE Champion trainer elect Doug Watson, who is 16 ahead with only World Cup remaining.
Results
Race 1: Al Taweelah PA - Maiden 1400M(a7F) – Turf Dh80,000: 1st Dorhess De Brugere (S Seemar) Richard Mullen, 2. Inthar, 3. Ibn Harmany Al Zobair. Distance: 2.25, 1.25. Timing: 01:33:49.
Race 2: UAE Arabian Derby PA - Prestige 2200M(a11F) – Turf Dh200,000: 1st Mahbooba (E Lemartinel) Tadhg O’Shea, 2. Sniper De Monlau, 3. Hamza. Distance: 2, 2.5. Timing: 02:27:69
Race 3: Abu Dhabi Championship TB - Group 3 2200M(a11F) – Turf Dh400,000: 1st Khusoosy (A Al Raihe) Paul Hanagan, 2. Munaaser, 3. Rembrandt Van Rijn. Distance: SH, 1.25. Timing: 02:16:30
Race 4: Emirates Championship PA - Group I 2200M(a11F) – Turf Dh1,000,000: 1st Abhaar (E Lemartinel) Wayne Smith, 2. Sha’Red, 3. Haanoof. Distance: HD, 4. Timing: 02:26:86
Race 5: Wathba Stud Farm Cup Championship For Private Owners Only PA - Conditions 1400M(a7F) – Turf Dh120,000: 1st Af Maqayes (A Al Raihe) Tadhg O’Shea, 2. Af Rahia, 3. Af Ashras. Distance: 3.25, SH. Timing: 01:31:29
Race 6: Dent Du Loup PA - Maiden 1400M(a7F) – Turf Dh80,000: 1st Af Madrub (E Oertel) Fernando Jara, 2. Mawahib, 3. Ammal. Distance: 1.25, 2.25. Timing: 01:33:52
Race 7: Grand Finale PA - Handicap 1600M(a8F) – Turf Dh100,000: 1st Cheik Roque (E Charpy) Wayne Smith, 2. Da’Areen, 3. Rb Dixie Burning. Distance: 0.5, 4. Timing: 01:43:63
