Dubai: After a career spanning over 18 years, Italian jockey Xavier Ziani surely knows a good horse when he sees one or even better still, when he rides one.
On Friday afternoon, Ziani showed just why he is a key member of Fazza Racing Stables when he delivered a perfect ride aboard Blown By Wind to land the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile sponsored by Shadwell, the richest and most prestigious race run at the famous racecourse.
Trained by Salem Bin Ghadayer, Blown By Wind has always been held in high regard and he justified the owner’s faith in him with a powerful and professional display to comfortably have the measure of former winner and race favourite Secret Ambition.
Blown By Wind totally dominated his rivals to a big-race vote by his jockey: “Don’t be surprised if you see him on the big day (Dubai Wprld Cup). He’s a strong galloping horse and the Godolphin Mile would suit him perfectly.
“We have a good team back home and deserve these results. I would love to see Mr (Salem) Bin Ghadayer be champion trainer, one day. Perhaps this year.”
Meet double
Bin Ghadayer was completing a meet double after Hyde Park landed the 1,400 metre Shadwell handicap earlier with first jockey Royston Ffrench doing the steering. Trainer Satish Seemar and jockey Tadhg O’Shea may have been disappointed with Secret Ambition’s second place in the Jebel Ali Mile, but they were rewarded two races later when teaming up with Mazagran to win the Shadwell Handicap.
Meanwhile, Sharjah-based handler Mujeeb Rahman won his second race of the 2020-21 season when Obeyaan took out the Derrinstown Stud Handicap under big-race Dutch rider, Adrei de Vries.
Trainer-owner Rashed Boursely seldom goes home without a winner and he did so again when Shanaghai City won the concluding Shadwell Handicap under Fabrice Veron.
