Charpy, Delpech, Carter Jr. register triple victories

Erwan Charpy stayed on course for the trainer's championship with a brilliant triple win and shared the limelight with trainer Yancey Carter Jr. and jockey Anthony Delpech, who also registered a triple win in yesterday's racing at the Abu Dhabi Race Course.

Satish Seemar also got a winner yesterday to stay within striking distance of Charpy in the battle for honours in the trainer's championship. With just three meetings left (two in Nad Al Sheba and one in Abu Dhabi) reigning champion Seemar trails Charpy for the trainer's championship, which is based on total money won.

Charpy completed his triple in the last race when Fred Sanchez helped Saamsun win in style and record the jockey's double.

Apart from Charpy's feat, it was Yancey-Delpech triple that hogged the limelight on this penultimate race meeting here. Commenting on his three winners Yancey said, "Both Kal Barq and Sarrab have had a good season, but Idole D'Auvergne never showed the same form he showed in the morning trials during the evening races. However, tonight he made no mistake."

Earlier, Charpy tasted success in the very first race with Sheldrake in a closely-contested race. Gerald Avranche helped Sheldrake squeeze out a narrow win with six horses finishing within 2 1/2 lengths of each other.

Charpy's double came through Badraan, which was led to a comfortable win by Fred Sanchez. After Badraan's superb pillar-to-post victory Charpy said the battle for the trainer's championship will certainly go to the wire.

"We still need a few big wins. Satish Seemar surely has a lot of big shots and the battle is going to be tough," said Charpy. "We have a few other runners but no big shots. However, they are consistent runners and every good performance counts now," the leading trainer added.

Commenting on Badraan's win, Charpy said the top weight is a well bred and nice looking filly. "Badraan is used to extra weights so today's top weight status did not matter as she notched up her third straight win," Charpy added.

Seemar, however, felt the switch over of the Arabian Derby on the last day of racing from turf to dirt has dealt a blow to his chances of taking the fight to Charpy.

"I was confident of Uranus Lotois and Dormilla. But the dirt surface will be new to them. However, I hope they fare well," said Seemar, who needs some big wins to overtake Charpy. "I would like to congratulate him for he fully deserves it," added Seemar.

Earlier, Yancey Carter Jr. and Anthony Delpech combined to clinch the triple win. After Kal Barq easily won the 12-furlong second race, Delpech then completed the double for Yancey when he steered Idole D'Auvergne to a surprise win in the fifth race. And in the penultimate race of the evening, Delpech came up with a fine run on the outside to give Sarrab a good win.