Abu Dhabi: Thoroughbreds take centre stage at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday, with a field of 14 set to face the starter in a 2200m handicap, the most valuable race on the card.
Emirati trainer Esmail Mohammad opened his seasonal account with a double at Meydan on Thursday evening and saddles two interesting contenders in Wintergreen and Counterglow.
Stable jockey Wayne Smith elected to ride Wintergreen with Chris Hayes aboard seasonal debutant, Counterglow. “Our runners tend to improve from their first run,” said Smith. “Wintergreen ran very well when third over this course and distance a fortnight ago. He should be spot on this week but does have a bit to find at the weights and could have been drawn better.
“Counterglow is a nice horse, but might just need the outing.”
Counterglow shares top-weight with Moonlight Dash, one of three in the race for Satish Seemar. Apprentice Hector Crouch rides with stable jockey, Richard Mullen, aboard the trainer’s Maid Of The Glens.
The race in which Wintergreen was third was won by Blue Tiger’s Eye, nicely drawn here in two. Trained by Ahmad Bin Harmash, he will again be ridden by stable jockey, Freddy Tylicki.
“He did it well the other day,” said Tyicki. “He was my first UAE winner and it would be nice to follow up on him.”
The trainer also saddles Georgetown, under Xavier Ziani and the horse is likely to appreciate the return to turf after four moderate dirt outings over the course of the year.
The Ali Rashid Al Raihe-trained Mutual Force chased home Blue Tiger’s Eye two weeks ago, and is seeking a seventh win since joining Al Raihe for whom he has won in China, as well as Meydan, Jebel Ali and here in Abu Dhabi back in 2011 over 1600m.
Stable jockey, Tadgh O’Shea, who takes the ride said: “He ran well last time and has been a great servant to the yard. Hopefully we can go close.”
Mizbah is another seeking a second victory of the season having won the very first race of the new campaign at Jebel Ali.
The best of the Purebred Arabian action is also a 2200m handicap with nine declared and the weights are headed by Reeh, owned by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and trained by Nacer Samiri.
The trainer opened his UAE account last Sunday with an Abu Dhabi double and Reeh, the mount of Szczepan Mazur, also ran seven days ago so has race fitness on his side.
