Dubai: Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, sponsored the feature race at the Sharjah Longines Equestrian Club on Friday and was fittingly rewarded for his patronage of racing at the venue when Jawaal claimed the trophy under a confident ride by Panamanian jockey Fernando Jara.
A winner of the Emirates Colts Classic at Abu Dhabi in February this year, the four-year-old son of Mahabb showed plenty of battling qualities to see off the threatening pack for a thrilling neck victory over Of Taghzed and eight-time UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea.
Es Nahawand, ridden by Brazil’s Bernardo Pinhero was a length back in third with Maqam and French rider Fabrice Veron beaten to fourth by a head in a popular renewal of the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup.
A homebred by Sheikh Mansour’s Al Wathba Racing Stables, Jawaal demonstrated his versatility over distance and surface with the second win of his career on his first career start at Sharjah.
Trained by Majed Al Jahouri at Al Wathba Stables, Jawaal has raced over both turf and dirt surfaces and over distances ranging from 2,200 metres, when he was seventh in the UAE Arabian Derby in March. to a mile and six furlongs.
Jara, who won the 2007 Dubai World Cup (G1) aboard Invasor, deserves a lot of credit for being exceptionally strong in the saddle and keeping his cool even as a trio of horses were closing in.
This was the second running of the Sheikh Mansoor Cup which has the potential to develop into one of the showpiece races at the popular Sharjah Equestrian Club.
Sharjah Equine Hospital sponsored three of the afternoon’s races including the only Thoroughbred race on the card, which was won in impressive style by Manhunter and French star Ryan Curatolo.
Trained by Mujeeb Rahman, who was saddling his first winner in three seasons, the five-year-old son of Elusive Quality broke an eight-race losing streak in the UAE. Sports Reporter and Patrick Cosgrave ran on for second. Curatolo has made a strong start to his maiden season in the UAE posting seven winners so far.
Perhaps the most decisive winner of the afternoon’s races was the Al Rashid Al Rayhi-trained Amirah who coasted to a nine-length victory in the Sharjah Equine Hospital Maiden over 1,700m.
The winner was ridden by stable jockey Connor Beasley who enjoyed an armchair ride aboard the five-year-old.
