Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Al Asayl Stables were in total dominance at the Abu Dhabi Race course on Sunday.

Trainer Eric Lemartinel and ace jockey Tadhg O’Shea combined to win half of the six races. O’Shea finished the evening with four winners after clinching victory in the thoroughbreds for his Grandstand Stables of Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

With these strong results, O’Shea, the four-time UAE champion jockey, has swelled his win tally to 27 winners, overtaking Richard Mullen at the top of the championship leaderboard by one.

“It’s a nice feeling indeed to ride four winners on a six-race card,” said the Irishman, who had three winners in the first four races.

“My job is also to ride winners and that’s what I’m doing. And I’m fortunate for the opportunity to ride some good horses, particularly the Purebred Arabians from Eric, as my stables don’t have many of them,” added O’Shea, who also won the featured Dh110,000 prize money Al Shahamah 2200m handicap on Lemartinel-trained RB Dixie Burning. Babel D’Aillas ridden by Fernando Jara was second, one length behind while Af Al Hazer rode Antonio Fresu to third.

O’Shea placed RB Dixie Burning nicely in the pack and, despite having very little room in the straight, she burst into the front towards the end. This was the seven-year-old mare’s fourth win in a row for the season and now has a career record of seven from nine starts.

“The pace was good enough and I had told Tadhag to wait. I was not afraid but I knew well the mare may have a good finish. Little far with 700 km to go but she came in very easy,” said a jubilant Lemartinel adding, “We go step by step for RB Dixie Burning. But she can do a mile or 2200, we will see. It is always nice to have a good horse like her.”

O’Shea also led RB Torch to win in the fourth race of the evening over 1400m comfortably.

“I held him highly last year and this is probably his new trip,” said O’Shea of RB Torch, who he led to victory in three of his four races.

“We experimented with him a little bit on the dirt. Even at Meydan, last year, his confidence was down for some reason. We even tried him at Al Ain and it didn’t work. Eric said we will bring him back on grass and thankfully it worked,” revealed O’Shea.

AF Mukhifah won the HH Shaikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup for Private Owners Only race.

Owner Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah, trained by Ernst Oertel and ridden by Bruno Reis, AF Mukhifah gained the day, chased in vain throughout the final 200m by AF Maher under Antonio Fresu. In third place was Satish Seemar’s Extra Hope under Mullen.

Results: Race 1: Al Ajban PA — Maiden 1400M (a7F) — Turf AED 80,000: 1st NOR Mahfouz (E Lemartinel) Tadhg O’Shea, 2nd Af Makerah, 3rd Af Meghwaar. Distance: 1.5 length, 0.5. Timing: 01:32:89

Race 2: Al Raha Beach TB — Handicap 1400M (a7F) — Turf AED 100,000: 1st Najm Suhail (A Al Rayhi) Tadhg O’Shea, 2nd Epsilon, 3rd Court Room. Distance: 1 length, 1.2. Timing: 01:22:05.

Race 3: Madinat Zayed PA — Maiden 1600M (a8F) — Turf AED 80,000: 1st Negmah (Al Hadhrami) Szczepan Mazur, 2nd Raheeb Al Reef, 3rd Dahham W’Rsan. Distance: 1.25 length, 0.5 length. Timing: 01:45:82.

Race 4: Al Taweelah PA — Handicap 1200M (a6F) — Turf AED 90,000: 1st Rb Torch (E Lemartinel) Tadhg O’Shea, 2nd Ain Jaloot, 3rd Molahen El Alhan. Distance: 1 length, 2.5. Timing: 01:15:67.

Race 5: Wathba Stud Farm Cup For Private Owners Only PA — Conditions 1200M (a6F) — Turf AED 70,000: 1st Af Mukhifah (E Oertel) Bruno Reis, 2nd Af Maher, 3rd Extra Hope. Distance: NK, 2.5length. Timing: 01:16:77.

Race 6: Al Shahamah PA — Handicap 2200M (a11F) — Turf AED 110,000: 1st Rb Dixie Burning (E Lemartinel) Tadhg O’Shea, 2nd Babel D’Aillas, 3rd Af Al Hazer. Distance: 1 length, 0.5.