Oertel hopes to close in on trainers’ title

Dubai: Saturday’s sixth and final meeting of the season at the Sharjah Equestrian club takes on added significance with the 2012-2013 UAE Trainer’s Title weighing heavily on the mind of Ernst Oertel.

The South African handler heads to the venue with a strong team of horses, led by the impressive four-time winner Shayel Aldhabi, hoping to consolidate his position at the top of standings before he orchestrates a penultimate assault on the championship at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday.

Oertel, who trains horses for President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Al Asayl Stables in Abu Dhabi, looks best-placed of four handlers to secure the prestigious honour at the end of the season.

He has amassed 31 winners this season and shares pole position with Mosabah Al Muhairi who trains out of the Oasis 1 Stables in Dubai.

Three-time champion Ali Rashid Al Raihe and Satish Seemar, a four-time winner, are on 30 wins each.

Oertel has been a tour de force in the Purebred Arabian division, with the breed supplying him with 26 winners this season. With Sharjah and Abu Dhabi hosting 11 races for Arabians, it appears that the championship is most likely to play into his hands.

If there is one race that the South African has a big chance of winning today, it’s the Dh125,000 Ruler Of Sharjah Trophy, the most prestigious event of the season at the track that staged its first race back in 1983.

Oertel’s Shayel Aldhabi, winner of the opening round of the Arabian Triple Crown and the Emirates Fillies’ Classic will start the 1,700m contest as the favourite and looks the one the 15 other contenders will have to beat.

However, she has run all her races on the Abu Dhabi turf and that casts a question mark over how she will perform on the Sharjah dirt for the first time.

Champion Jockey Tadhg O’Shea, who takes the ride, sounded cautious when he said: “On the ratings she has to have a massive chance and she has not run a bad race all season but, as we all know, until they prove they can handle dirt there is always a question mark.

“We have been to Sharjah with horses in the past we thought would win but just did not act there. Hopefully she will not be one of them.”

Richard Mullen rides Tahdeed for Sharjah specialist Anthony Manuel who looks the main danger.

The Al Ain-based handler, who also saddles Al Waqqad, said: “Tahdeed’s debut win was a good one but he did not really build on that at Abu Dhabi. Hopefully the return to Sharjah will bring out the improvement we hoped for.

“Al Waqqad has been a model of consistency and we are keen to try him on the dirt so this looked a good opportunity to do that. Hopefully they can both run well but Ernst’s filly will be hard to beat.”

Oertel, who is in for a busy afternoon in the saddling enclosure preparing his 13 runners, sends four to contest the 2,700m Sharjah Handicap – the longest race of the Sharjah season. O’Shea takes the ride on Kalahari Desert, who together with the Gill Duffield-trained Estiqraar appear to be the main contenders.

Jockey Adrie De Vries, who scooped a hat-trick at Meydan on Thursday, partners Bircham in a competitive-looking 1,200m handicap.

However, Mosabah Al Muhairi’s Special Boy looks the one to beat.