Dubai: Veteran handler Satish Seemar could not have hoped for a better start to the 2019-20 UAE flat racing season as he dominated the opening races on Thursday night’s opening card at Meydan Racecourse.
Seemar, who trains out of the pristine Zabeel Stables in the heart of Dubai, demonstrated that he has his yard in fine order to launch a massive challenge on his rivals over the next six months.
Teaming up with old partner Richard Mullen once again, the former champion landed the first race of the evening with Barack Beach and then followed it up in imperious fashion by sweeping the first four places in the following race.
An astute $178,774 purchase at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale purchase, Barack Beach wasted no time to repay his connections by showed plenty of ability to win the Emirates Holidays Maiden over six furlongs on the fresh dirt track which was seeing live action for the first time since March.
Laa Baas, who was also acquired at the Craven sale for a sum of $123,767 finished second for the new Jebel Ali Stables pairing of champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea and trainer Nicholas Bachalard.
Emirati trainer Ahmad Bin Harmash, who won this feature last season with Walking Thunder, had to settle for third place with the well-bred Phoenix Ladies Syndicate contender Mambo Mischief, a $150,000 Ocala Breeders’ Sales purchase.
If Seemar had his hands full saddling up his quartet for the Emirates SkyCargo Handicap he was rewarded in the best possible way with his runners filling the top four places.
Way Of Wisdom, the mount of Conor Beasley led the way home for the Seemar brigade with O’Shea and Midlander taking second ahead of fancied contender Speedy Move, the mount of stable jockey Richard Mullen.
Circle Dream and Pat Cosgrave completed the Seemar quadruple.
Yesterday’s meeting provided an explosive start to the landmark UAE racing season where close to 450 races spread over 67 race meeting will take place between now and April at the country’s five racecourses — Meydan, Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain.
The season will culminate in the epic running of the $35 million Dubai World Cup meeting on March 28, where the feature race is the $12 million Dubai World Cup, which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary, since the great American legend Cigar won the inaugural running of the race at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in 1996.
Racegoers were provided a glimpse of what’s in store over the next six months at Meydan’s curtain raiser on Thursday which was supported by Pillar Partner, Emirates Airlines.
As many as seven races have been upgraded for the 2019-20 season at Meydan Racecourse, including six during the Dubai World Cup Carnival, which kicks-off on January 2, 2020.
