Houston, Texas, USA: Paddys Day, winner of the HH Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup Triple Jewel series last year, made a perfect start to his title-defence with a superb win in the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup – Amethyst Jewel, a Grade 1 race at the Sam Houston Race Park in Texas on Saturday night.
Kelsi Purcell got the five-year-old Burning Sand son and odds on favourite from Scott Powell’s yard back to winning ways after the star’s failed run in the world’s richest race for Purebred Arabians – the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown – in Abu Dhabi last November.
While the Shaikh Zayed Cup favourite Paddys Day obliged, the favourite in the second race of the night organised by the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival could only finish third. Jewell AA finished third to Royal Richess ridden by Belgian Sara Vermeersch in the 7-furlong HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship IFAHR Cup.
Paddys Day, the Scott Powel-trained horse went one better than last year when he had finished second to Burning Fleet. With this winning start, Paddys Day will now have the Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup – Emerald Jewel in Pleasanton in July and the third and final HH Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup – Diamond Jewel race in Los Alamitos in September along with the bonus of $150,000 (Dh550,890) on his radar.
Purcell had Paddys Day in control of the race and though Randy Nunley’s F Sixteen (Carol Cedeno up) made a late bid and overtook the Jerenesto Torrez-trained Easter Man, that final burst was not enough. “He is an amazing horse,” said Powell. “We are so proud of him.”
There was a 15-minute delay due to a power failure in the placing judge’s stand. The horses were backed out of the gate, but Purcell said it made no difference to her stallion.
“It was tough, but he held his composure,” said Purcell. “He’s just an amazing horse and will go all the way this year.”
In the all-ladies line-up, Delphine Garcia Dubois of France set the pace on favourite Jewell AA but Royal Richess under Vermeersch came up with a driving finish to win the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship IFAHR Cup for trainer Lynn Ashby. In fact it was a perfect 1-2 finish for Ashby as Our Princess under Briton Joanna Mason overtook Jewell AA to take second place ahead of the odds-on-favourite.
Ashby hailed the display by the Belgian jockey who was registering her fourth career success. “We love coming to Sam Houston for this race,” said Ashby. “We drew a great rider; she listened and read the form on this mare. She knew what to do; it was awesome,” said Ashby.
