Dubai: Treble Jig showed plenty of guts as he held off the challenge from Farrier to notch his sixth victory at the Jebel Ali Racecourse on Friday.
Ridden by Wayne Smith, Treble Jig took over the running at the foot of the hill and within a couple of strides began to dominate his rivals in the Shadwell-sponsored feature event, as the season curtain came down at the popular venue.
But Farrier, ridden by apprentice Marc Monoghan, began to close the gap as the line approached.
However, Treble Jig still had enough in the tank to bring it home for trainer Mosabah Al Muhairi.
Cheers rang out as fans, who came out in droves to celebrate yesterday’s finale, gave the connections a rousing welcome as Treble Jig was led into the winner’s enclosure.
“He’s a different horse when he comes here, he’s so switched off and just puts his best foot forward,” Smith said while paying tribute to his horse.
“I couldn’t see him getting beaten today. I rode him a gallop the other day at Meydan and he felt to me as good as he’s ever been all year. David (Smith) who rides him out in the mornings says he is more relaxed, so we were quite confident coming here today.”
Smith also put the phenomenal success that Al Muhairi’s Oasis Stables have enjoyed at Jebel Ali — where they have amassed 22 of their 33 wins for season — down to training strategy.
“We never do all our galloping at Meydan or at home, so when the horses come over here it’s probably a change for them, with the surface, they just love it here,” he said.
“The boss also doesn’t overtrain the horses, he keeps them fresh and perhaps that has been the key all season.”
With only next Saturday’s Dubai World Cup meeting remaining, Al Muhairi trails Abu Dhabi’s Ernst Oertel by one winner, as the UAE Trainer’s Championship looks set to be decided at the event.
Al Muhairi only has one runner Russian Rock in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) while Oertel saddles five including Ganas in the Sprint, Capital Attraction in the Godolphin Mile (G2), Averroes in the Dubai Gold Cup (G3) and TM Junior Johnson and Seraphin Du Paon in the Dubai Kahayla Classic (G1)
Treble Jig, who is a dual winner of the Jebel Ali Stakes and Mile, also set a new track record earlier this year over the same 1,800m course and distance as Friday’s featured conditions race.
Meanwhile Al Muhairi, Smith and Treble Jig’s owner Fathi Esaed Mohd Egziama won their respective Jebel Ali Championships sponsored by Ardmore Trading. They also received the prize of a car donated by Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The owner’s championship was won by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance.
Other winners on the day were Ali Rashid Al Raihe’s Blue Sea, a winner of the opening Al Sahel Contracting Company handicap, Satish Seemar’s On War in the Roma Capanelle handicap, Mubarak Bin Shafya’s Iguazu Falls who took the Al Shafar Investment handicap, Jebel Ali-trained Fojatt in the British University of Dubai handicap and Mohammad Ebrahim’s Journalistic in the concluding Al Habtoor Motors handicap.
