RAAHY starred at the third fixture of the Jebel Ali season last Friday afternoon. In landing the five-furlong conditions race for three-year-olds he doubled his career tally and opened his UAE account.

Only two of the 10 starters ever really got involved, with Raakezz blazing a trail under Ryan Curatolo and having most of his rivals burned off by halfway.

The exception was Raahy under Adrie de Vries who asked his mount to throw down a serious challenge entering the final furlong. They quickly gained the initiative to score cosily on the son of Brazen Beau’s first appearance for trainer Jaber Ramadhan and the Have A Luck Syndicate.

A winner at two over the minimum trip at Lingfield for George Scott, Raahy, a 25,000gns foal and £50,000 yearling, made four UAE appearances for Fawzi Nass earlier this year. Ramadhan said: “We were keen to get Adrie who rode the horse for Fawzi Nass and is of course a very good jockey. That was very pleasing.”

The meeting opened with a seven-furlong maiden for which six went to post. The race developed into a duel between the two runners owned by Sheikh Hamdan. Victory went to the Shadwell homebred Masaali, Pat Dobbs in the saddle on the Doug Watson-trained four-year-old son of Hard Spun. The winner was fulfilling the promise of his debut when third, over the same course and distance, a month ago.

Watson said: “We have actually had him a couple of years, but he has had a few problems and we have had to be patient with him. We have always liked him though and were very pleased with his debut, so we thought he had a nice chance today and so it proved.”

Sheikh Hamdan’s blue and white silks were again first and second in the following seven-furlong handicap, Dane O’Neill choosing correctly this time and combining with Ali Rashid Al Rayhi to land the spoils aboard Almoreb. The 180,000gns yearling purchase by Peter and Ross Doyle is now a six-year-old gelded son of Raven’s Pass and he was recording his fourth career success, three of which were gained when he was with Richard Hannon.

Kuwaiti handler Rashed Bouresly struck with his very first runner of the UAE season, enjoying a comfortable success with Imprison in a six-furlong handicap. A maiden after 15 starts, all in the UAE for Bouresly, the seven-year-old Sea The Stars sold as a yearling for 350,000gns and this belated victory took his career warnings to £22,000.

After two withdrawals at the start, just five two-year-olds lined up for the five-furlong maiden, but it produced a thrilling contest, with less than a length covering all five with a furlong and a half to run. Richard Mullen aboard Cross The Ocean, one of three in the race owned by Elbashir Salem Elhrari, stuck his head out to deny Uncle Hamed by just a nose.

From the first crop of multiple Grade 1 winner Frosted, the winner was the costliest runner in the field, having been purchased by de Burgh Equine in June of this year at Ocala for $90,000.

He is also a son of champion juvenile filly and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore, and a half-brother to the dam of Japan’s leading three-year-old of 2020, Contrail.

Winning trainer Satish Seemar said: “It was an exciting race and a new experience for these young horses because we cannot bring them here for a gallop at the moment. He is a very nice physical specimen as you can see and he has shown us plenty of ability at home, so I am delighted for the owner and whole team.”

Fernando Jara and Sa’Ada pounced two furlongs out in the concluding 10-furlong handicap and powered up the hill to win. Something of a rarity in the UAE, being a five-year-old mare, her previous success, in 20 attempts, was over a mile in January 2019.

Winning trainer Ahmad bin Harmash was opening his seasonal tally, saddling his first winner for 378 days.

Al Ain – November 20th

THE sole race for thoroughbred on the card at Al Ain was a 10-furlong maiden and it was turned into a procession by the American-bred three-year-old Miracle Maker.

A $10,000 Ocala two-year-old purchase, the colt was confidently ridden by Xavier Ziani for trainer Salem bin Ghadayer. Having his eighth career start, and having shown little to date, the son of Paynter swept to the front more than three furlongs from home and was never in any danger, winning by more than six lengths.

Miracle Maker provided a first UAE winner for owner Faiuz Jamil Al Turkumani. Winning jockey Ziani said: “He was a big baby last season and has matured a lot over the winter. As he gets older and experience, hopefully, he will continue to improve and could be a fun horse to have in the yard.”

Sharjah – November 28th

IRISH jockey Nathan Crosse had an afternoon to remember at Sharjah Longines Racecourse last Saturday. Arriving at the course with just a single UAE ride under his belt, he left with a double and contributed to trainer Doug Watson’s treble on the day.

The day’s feature was the only thoroughbred race on the programme, a handicap, and it was run over an extended mile. It was dominated by Watson who saddled the first three home, headed by Galvanize who was partnered by Crosse.

The winning rider stuck to the inside rail for as long as possible before switching out to challenge at the top of the short straight. His mount quickened stylishly before clinging on grimly to record a sixth career success. This was the seven-year-old son of Medaglia D’Oro’s fourth win since joining Watson, and his second in the ownership of Hamid Radan.