RACING on the dirt at Jebel Ali last Friday afternoon, featured a pair of listed races and, incredibly, they were won by half-brothers. The races were run over five and 10 furlongs.

First was the longer Jebel Ali Stakes in which the Pat Cosgrave-piloted Mark Of Approval, a six-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid, surged late to snatch the spoils.

When successful over a mile in Meydan at the initial meeting of the season last October, the gelding was the first thoroughbred winner for his trainer Mahmood Hussain, as well as a first in owner Sayed Hashish’s pale blue and white silks.

Last week doubled the handler’s seasonal tally and in the process provided him with his undoubted career highlight.

Cosgrave, winning the race inaugurated in 1993 for the first time, said: “He only has one pace and it takes him a while to get going, but I was able to keep him close enough to the rest. It is a great result for a small team and I am obviously delighted to have been part of it.”

An hour later, the five-furlong Listed Jebel Ali Sprint was dominated by Musabbeh Al Mheiri who saddled three runners for Sheikh Hamdan and provided the owner with the first two home.

Last year’s winner Thammin and Jim Crowley had to settle for second place as they were unable to get past Alkaraama and Antonio Fresu. Driven to the front just after halfway, the winner soon had most of his eight rivals in trouble, with only Thammin ever really threatening to land a telling blow.

A four-year-old War Front colt from the same Speightstown mare, Agreeable Miss, the winner was having just his third local outing. Sheikh Hamdan and Al Mheiri have now combined to win this race on four occasions, including with subsequent Group 1 winner Muarrab.

Alkaraama was a three-time winner over six furlongs for Sir Michael Stoute last season.

In between the two features there was a dramatic outcome to the seven-furlong conditions race for three-year-olds, in which local hope Raakezz (by Street Boss), trained by Nicholas Bachalard for Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, crossed the line with Attribution (Competitive Edge), with jockey Xavier Ziani seeking a double, trainer Salem bin Ghadayer a treble and owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. After prolonged deliberation, the judge was unable to split them.

Fourteen went to post for the mile handicap but Xavier Ziani sent Talento Puma straight to the front and the pair stayed there.

Winning trainer Salem bin Ghadayer also saddled the runner-up, while the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate celebrated a belated first victory of the season. The Equal Talent four-year-old was a dual winner from just three starts in his native Argentina.

Royston Ffrench was in the saddle aboard Tailor’s Row who ran out the gutsy winner of the 10-furlong handicap, the Street Cry gelding following up his nine-furlong course win a fortnight earlier. The Bin Ghadayer runner is owned by Musab Abdulqader Mohd Al Rais and now has five career victories to his name.

Local debutant Wafy, an Irish-bred son of Dubawi, was impressive when landing the six-furlong handicap. In the first two throughout, he quickened clear two furlongs out for Richard Mullen, riding for Satish Seemar and owner Nasir Askar.

A winner for Sheikh Hamdan in England when trained by Charlie Hills, the son of the 1000 Guineas heroine Ghanaati was purchased by Askar for 57,000gns at Tattersalls in October.

Seemar was back in the winner’s enclosure with Tadhg O’Shea following the concluding seven-furlong handicap with the New Approach seven-year-old Cachao, successful for the third time for Seemar and second time for O’Shea.

Sharjah February 22nd

The final meeting of the current season at Sharjah Longines Racecourse last Saturday saw the Echo Of Light gelding Skygazer win the only race for thoroughbreds on the card. The winner has been a fantastic servant for Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Ali Rashid Al Rayhi and was winning for them for the eighth time, this time in a 10-furlong handicap. Skygazer was a twice-raced maiden for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby before joining Al Rayhi. This was his third victory over the course and distance, his other wins being posted at Abu Dhabi, twice at Jebel Ali and once in China.