WE did not know it at the time, but racing at Jebel Ali last Friday afternoon, consisting of an eight-race card, was to be the final action of the Emirates Racing Authority season.

The card was highlighted by the fourth running of the Jebel Ali Classic, a seven-furlong conditions race won in its inaugural year 2017 and again 12 months ago by Shamaal Nibras. The EERC (Emirates Entertainment Racing Club) 11-year-old looked set to win his final race before retirement in style, only to be denied on the line by stable companion Thegreatcollection.

Trainer Doug Watson has now won the race in all four years it has been contested, having won the 2018 edition with Cosmo Charlie. Adrie de Vries partnered the winner, denying Watson’s stable jockey, Pat Dobbs, aboard the admirable veteran who looked the likely winner when hitting the front a furlong and a half out. The winner is a six-year-old son of Saint Anddan and was winning for the first time in 11 months. He is owned by Zaur Sekrekov.

The main support race, also over the straight seven furlongs, was a conditions contest for three-year-old fillies and was won in style by Madame Ellingtina, ridden by Richard Mullen for Satish Seemar. This was a second winner in the colours of AC Ellington, previously successful with Beachcomber Bay in the UAE.

A British-bred daughter of Helmet, Madame Ellingtina was completing a double on the card for Seemar, who had earlier combined with Tadhg O’Shea to land the opening nine-furlong handicap with Touch Gold Racing’s Majestic Thunder. Settled in midfield throughout the early stages, the five-year-old Dubawi gelding cruised into contention halfway up the long straight before hitting the front with about two furlongs to run, after which he was never going to be denied.

Thegreatcollection’s victory was actually a third consecutive one on the card for Watson, who had earlier saddled Just A Penny, under Sam Hitchcott and Native Appeal, the mount of Pat Dobbs, to win for Mohd Khalifa Al Basti. The former, an eight-year-old gelding by Kodiac, ran out the easy winner of a 10-furlong handicap, having stalked the early speed before pouncing with less than two furlongs remaining. It was an eighth Jebel Ali victory for the winner.

Meanwhile, Native Appeal was winning for a third time this season at Jebel Ali, under three different jockeys, when recording his second mile course handicap victory. Settled midfield by Dobbs, the five-year-old Exceed And Excel gelding was committed for home a little over a furlong out and soon had the race in safekeeping.

Oktalgano, trained by Salem bin Ghadayer for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, opened his winning account at the fourth time of asking. Confidently ridden just behind the leaders by Xavier Ziani, the Street Sense three-year-old colt quickened nicely just about a furlong out and was a very convincing winner of the mile maiden for his age group.

The finale, a five-furlong handicap, was another winner for Rashed Bouresly, who has been enjoying a real purple patch, this time with Shanaghai City under Jesus Rosales. The four-year-old son of Shanghai Bobby was overdue his first success, gained on his 15th start.

Thirty minutes earlier, Mystery Land and Fabrice Veron ran out the comfortable winners of a seven-furlong maiden for Helal Al Alawi. The four-year-old son of Sea The Stars was making a belated racing debut and looks to be a horse to watch for further improvement.

Al Ain Friday March 13th

Racing for purebred Arabians was mostly the order of the day at Al Ain, where a significant milestone was reached. The main support race, a prestige contest restricted to four-year-olds foaled in the UAE, was the nine-furlong Al Ain Derby and the prize stayed at home with Musheer Al Wathba, trained on the track by Jean de Roualle, providing Richard Mullen with his 500th UAE winner.

Mullen said: “I am overwhelmed, and to bring up the 500 in the Yas Racing colours in a big race is the perfect scenario. We knew he had a good chance and credit to Jean and his team who have done such a great job with this horse.”

The only thoroughbred race was a 13-furlong handicap which was won comfortably by Cinq Rules under Jesus Rosales, the pair hitting the front entering the home straight before staying on strongly and always holding the late challenge of Blue Sovereign. An eight-year-old French-bred Mastercraftsman gelding, he was posting his second career success and first locally, having won in France way back in April 2015. Now in the care of Khalifa Al Mazrouei, celebrating his very first winner, it was also a maiden success for owner Nadia Solomon.

Rosales said: “He has done that pretty well and took me into contention strongly down the back straight before quickening nicely when I asked him. He then just kept galloping and I am delighted to help owner and trainer get off the mark.”

Abu Dhabi Saturday March 14th

A cracking card in the capital city was highlighted by the 11-furlong Group 1 Emirates Championship for purebred Arabians. The spoils went to Somoud, ridden by Pat Cosgrave in the colours of Yas Racing and Ahmed Al Mehairbi, the trainer’s ninth winner of the season.

The thoroughbred equivalent and biggest such race in the capital all season, the 11-furlong, Group 3 Abu Dhabi Championship, produced a virtual carbon copy finish, with defending champion GM Hopkins and Cosgrave duelling with Seniority over the final half a furlong. As was the case in the Emirates Championship, Richard Mullen was the jockey denied by Cosgrave.

In repeating their victory of 12 months ago, the French-bred GM Hopkins, a nine-year-old son of Dubawi, and Cosgrave secured their place in UAE folklore for trainer Jaber Ramadhan and owner Ramadhan Stable by becoming the first dual winner of the race, inaugurated back in 1993.

It was a seventh career victory for Ramadhan’s stable star who also won five times in Britain when trained by John Gosden.

Ramadhan said: “The horse just loves it here at Abu Dhabi because he is happier going clockwise. Hopefully we can keep him sound and come back for this race again next year. Pat obviously gets on very well with him and I made sure he was available about a month ago. Happily he was.” Cosgrave added: “This race has been good to me over the years and I have won it three times now. That is only the third time I have ridden this horse and first since winning this last year.”