Al Hammadi corners top honours

Ahmed Mohammed Jasim Al Hammadi riding Delta Moon Shine came up with a steady performance to emerge victorious in Round One of the Emirates Challenge Endurance series in Al Wathba here yesterday.

General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence and Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the President's Private Department, attended yesterday's ride which also kick-started the first of the three rounds in the Dh two million Emirates Challenge Series.

The short-statured Jasim Al Hammadi, who is also bidding to become a flat-racing jockey, revealed excellent riding skills and once most of the favourites made an early exit, he had no problems in registering his second career win.

Before the start of the fourth stage in the five-stage race, most of the favourites including Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri, Mubarak Khalifa bin Shafya and Sultan bin Sulayem were out.

That left Jasim Al Hammadi to battle it our with Sheikh Ahmed bin Humaid Al Nuaimi and a pack of international riders who made themselves proud with a good display.