Dubai: It has been a long time coming, but former champion trainer Satish Seemar finally gained the first thoroughbred victory of the season he deserved when Anani clinched the Derrinstown Stud Marju Jebel Ali Stakes on Friday.
The jinx ended in emphatic style with the lightly fancied seven-year-old upstaging a high-class field to win by three quarters of a length from home hope Remaad, while favourite Gharir was two and a quarter lengths back in third.
Anani, a son of the very influential 1987-88 leading sire in North America, Mr Prospector, was only notching his four career win in 41 starts and first since February 2006 where he won a handicap on Nad Al Sheba's turf track.
Ridden by Wayne Smith, who is in red-hot form, Anani was produced at the 400 metre mark and he wore down long-time leader Remaadd to secure a hard-fought success.
"These are the spare rides I like," joked Smith. "We (Oasis Stables) did not have a runner so I was happy to ride this one as I knew he liked the track. He battled well and it was a pleasing performance."
Seemar, who was winning the Dh 350,000 Jebel Ali Stakes for the third time after El Hurano in 2004 and Resplendent Star in 2001, was not present to see Anani score as he is reportedly a little unwell.
Leading trainer Musabah Al Muhairi notched his 17th winner of the term when Secret Place won the concluding 1000m handicap sponsored by Bin Bilaila Contracting.
He leads Doug Watson, whose best result yesterday was a third, by two wins. Meanwhile Ali Rashid Al Raihe, another successful UAE national trainer, saddled a 1-2 in the Al Shafar Investment-sponsored handicap with Melodic Score and Otranto.
The winner, ridden by Royston Ffrench, reined in promising apprentice jockey Ahmad Ajtebi in the dying strides.
Al Raihe and Ffrench were in the winner's enclosure two races later when they combined to win the Commerican Bank of Dubai conditions race with Jet Express, who showed his liking for the course and distance, having won a month ago under Ajtebi. Ffrench said: "He loves this hill and was always going well."
Anthony Manuel had a winner at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday night and repeated the feat with Algharb in a Al Shafar Group handicap. The trainer said: "He is a nice horse who we hope can qualify for the Carnival."
