O'Shea eyes encore on Raeaa W'Rsan

Abu Dhabi: Racing returns to Abu Dhabi today with a six-race card highlighted by the ninth running of the Abu Dhabi Fillies' Classic. Fifteen runners are set to face the starter in the 1,400-metre contest with Jaci Wickham's Raeaa W'Rsan conceding weight to her rivals as the only previous winner in the field.

Tadhg O'Shea is in the saddle, as he was when the filly won her sole previous start, over course and distance and the jockey said: "She is [a] nice filly and that was a very pleasing start to her career. Obviously the penalty makes things more difficult but she should go well."

Chasing Raeaa W'Rsan home on that occasion was Rod Simpson's Lujain and the rivalry will be renewed with the trainer seeking a fourth victory in the race.

Lujain will be ridden by Daragh O'Donohoe with Matthew Henry riding her stable companion Jowharat Al Asayl.

With five debutantes, including Wickham's Faridah W'Rsan, Gill Duffield's Jawhara Al Reef, Satish Seemar's Anood Dubai and Saifaldin Deeb's Noor El Imtiyaz, it is a tricky race to call.

Racing concludes with a 2,200-metre handicap, the sole thoroughbred race on the card. A maximum field of 14 will go to post with the weights headed by Seemar's Book of Music and Detonator, having his first start for Musabah Al Muhairi.

Erwan Charpy has three runners, including the filly Sos Brillante who will be having her first start for the yard after winning at last season's Dubai International Racing Carnival for Saeed Bin Suroor. Doug Watson's Weald was a gutsy winner on his seasonal debut at Jebel Ali, while Dhruba Selvaratnam's Envisage looks capable of better over this trip.

With Ali Rashid Al Raihe and Royston Ffrench in such good form, Point Taken will be a popular choice in the opening 1,600-metre maiden, while Ektimaal and Fantastique Mhf were both wide margin winners at Sharjah last weekend and clash in the 2,200-metre handicap.