Dubai: Al Ain Racecourse host their penultimate meeting of the season on Friday, a six-event card highlighted by a 1,800-metre Conditions event for Purebred Arabians.
Eleven runners go to post, including three contenders trained by reigning UAE champion Ernst Oertel.
Stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea has elected to ride the bottom-weight Nemrah, who is unbeaten in two starts at Abu Dhabi.
Pat Cosgrave will partner Shahryar, the winner of a handicap at Abu Dhabi in November, while apprentice Daniel Muscutt gets the leg up on Munzade, a former French-trained horse who is winless in five UAE starts.
Zabeel Stables’ promising apprentice Marc Monaghan has picked up an interesting spare aboard the Majid Al Jahouri-trained Ghalib, the highest-rated horse in the field. Al Jahouri, who is based at the Al Wathba Stables, has enjoyed a successful season where he has amassed 12 wins, including several big-race victories.
The preceding race on the card is also a Conditions event over 1600 metres.
Seven go to post including the Ebrahim Al Hadrami-trained AF Al Almaa, who will be ridden by jockey Royston Ffrench.
The only thoroughbred race on the card is a 1,400-metre handicap, which has attracted 12 runners.
O’Shea, who looks certain to defend his UAE title this season, rides Sullivan Street for Millennium 2 Stables handler Esmail Mohammad.
A three-year-old colt by former Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry, Sullivan Street has only run once in the UAE when second to Statactite at Jebel Ali last week.
A Darley homebred who was previously trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin, Sullivan Street is hoping to break his maiden at the seventh time of asking.
Racing starts at 3pm and entrance to the racecourse is free.
