LAST Friday’s opening card of the 2022 Dubai World Cup Carnival featured the first rounds of the Al Maktoum Challenge, both run over a mile 1600m on the Meydan dirt track.

The highlight was the thoroughbred version, the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1, won by Golden Goal who was winning on the opening night of the Carnival for the second successive year.

He set a seven-furlong dirt track record on the opening night last year, when it was staged a week later, and this was a career best effort under Sam Hitchcott, sporting the silks of Dale Brennan for the Doug Watson stable.

A gelded son of Dark Angel, bred by Yeomanstown Stud, the eight-year-old and Hitchcott took full advantage of their draw in stall one and disputed the lead pretty much throughout with Secret Ambition, an old adversary whom he chased home in the Godolphin Mile on the Dubai World Cup card last March. Hitchcott’s mount stamped his authority in the final furlong.

The winning rider said: “I knew I had to be positive and we had a lovely posse there on the rail. Secret Ambition is a very good horse as we know, so I knew we were in for a battle and my fellow has really responded well. It is my first Maktoum Challenge winner and a great result for everybody involved.”

The purebred Arabian equivalent which opened the card, the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R1, was turned into a rout by RB Rich Lyke Me under Adrie de Vries, having just his second start for Fawzi Nass and in the colours of Victorious.

Cape Verdi

The turf feature, the Group 2 Cape Verdi for fillies and mares over a mile, was won in breath-taking fashion by the German-foaled Pevensey Bay who absolutely flew home in the final furlong and a half to snatch victory under Olivier Peslier.

Trained in France by Japanese handler Hiroo Shimizu for her breeders, Julia and Jonathon Aisbitt, the six-year-old daughter of Footstepsinthesand was winning for the fourth time but the first in such illustrious company.

Inaugural running

For three-year-olds, the inaugural six-furlong Festival City Stakes on the dirt attracted seven starters, but only one ever really mattered with the Brazilian-bred Bet Law leading throughout under Vagner Leal for trainer Antonio Cintra Pereira and owners Stud Crespi.

Winner of two of his three starts in South America, most recently a listed contest in Uruguay, the Universal colt was conceding weight to his six rivals, but he always looked in control and posted an impressive victory. Pereira said: “There is another similar race for him, just for three-year-olds, in a few weeks, so we will probably aim for that.”

The mile and a half Listed Dubai Racing Club Classic looked competitive on paper with 15 runners, but Godolphin’s Dubai Future proved far too good under Pat Cosgrave for Saeed bin Suroor. Following a modest early gallop, Cosgrave drove the six-year-old Dubawi gelding to the front entering the final quarter of a mile, after which they never looked likely to be caught. Dubai Future was winning for the fifth time and at a third consecutive Carnival.

Classic trial

Also on turf, the seven-furlong Jumeirah Classic Trial for three-year-olds provided Godolphin with a quick double, this time Charlie Appleby and William Buick combining with Sovereign Prince.

A gelded son of Dubawi, Appleby’s charge had won once from five starts in England, losing his maiden tag at the fifth attempt in an Epsom nursery at the end of September.

The concluding Dubai Dash, over five furlongs on turf, was contested by a capacity field of 16. Shadwell’s Irish-bred six-year-old Mutaraffa came out on top under Antonio Fresu for Musabbeh Al Mheiri. The son of Acclamation was bred by Mark and James Hanly.

Irishman O’Shea seeking your vote

RACING in Abu Dhabi on Monday was highlighted by the only thoroughbred race on the card, the concluding mile and a half handicap. It was run at a frantic gallop, ultimately suiting the Irish-bred winner, Celestial Spheres.

A belated first winner of the season for trainer Ismail Mohammed, who had only saddled 16 previous runners this campaign, it was a second success for apprentice Gary Sanchez and a maiden UAE success for the silks of Millennium Stables, Mohammed’s Meydan base.

An eight-year-old gelded son of Redoute’s Choice, this was a fifth career success for the horse who won four times in Britain for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, latterly in January 2018. Sanchez said: “They went very quick which has played into my hands because this horse stays so well and I was always happy racing alone in third before challenging. When I asked him he responded well and has won fairly comfortably.”

That victory came a day after an all-purebred Arabian card was run at Al Ain, seven trainers and jockeys managing a winner apiece. The concluding race on the card saw yet another success for Irish jockey Tadhg O’Shea.

Vote for O’Shea

Voting is underway in the UAE for the horseracing excellence awards and these are decided by public vote. Each person is allowed to vote once and O’Shea is one of four shortlisted for the best local jockey accolade. Champion jockey in the UAE on a record none occasions, he has ridden more than 600 winners since arriving in the Emirates in 2001.

Currently retained by champion owner Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, O’Shea also rides as first jockey for Bhupat Seemar at Zabeel Stables. Twice champion apprentice in Ireland, the rider’s other career highlights include a Royal Ascot win on Ouqba in 2009 and partnering AF Maher to victory in the 2019 Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic.

O’Shea faces strong opposition from Richard Mullen, a former champion in the UAE, Antonio Fresu and Fabrice Veron. You can go online to support O’Shea at hhracingawards.com

Jebel Ali celebrates 30th anniversary

SATURDAY’S first Jebel Ali fixture of 2022 featured a nine-furlong handicap, won in taking fashion by Prevent, with Ray Dawson in the saddle for owner Ahmad Ghalita Almheiri and trainer Ahmad bin Harmash.

The seven-year-old Poet’s Voice gelding snatched the initiative a furlong and a half out, quickened clear and never appeared in danger of being caught. He won over the same course and distance in December. Dawson said: “He obviously likes it here at Jebel Ali and is a jockey’s dream. That was a very good effort and we may take him to Meydan for the Carnival.”

A six-furlong maiden for three-yearolds went to the home team, with the colours of racecourse patron Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum carried to victory by debutant Sadaaty under Richard Mullen. It was a belated first winner of the season for trainer Nicholas Bachalard and an appropriate one as the course was celebrating its 30th anniversary.

A son of Munnings, Sadaaty cost connections $380,000 at Fasig-Tipton last May and looks a nice prospect. Mullen said: “The team have always held him in high regard and that was a good performance, especially on debut. He should build on this. It is nice to get a winner for Sheikh Ahmed, especially on such a special day for the racecourse.”

Connections looked likely to celebrate a double, only to be snared right on the line by Shadwell’s Mayaadeen, partnered by Dane O’Neill for Doug Watson, in the following seven-furlong handicap. The winner, bred by the Irish National Stud, is a seven-year-old gelded son of Invincible Spirit. It was a fourth career success for the winner.

Hyde Park

Xavier Ziani produced Hyde Park to lead in the final strides of the six-furlong handicap for Sultan Ali and Salem bin Ghadayer. An eight-year-old Oasis Dream gelding, he too was winning for a fourth time. The trainer and jockey completed a double with Attribution in the mile and a quarter handicap, landing the spoils in gutsy fashion for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. The winner was off the track for 672 days after his first win, and this was his third outing of the current campaign.

The concluding mile maiden went to Yurman who flew home under Antonio Fresu to snatch the prize for Bhupat Seemar and Mohammed Khaleel Ahmed. He is a four-year-old son of Asiatic Boy.

The meeting kicked off with the only purebred Arabian contest on the card, and like so many races of its type it went to Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, his retained jockey Tadhg O’Shea and trainer Ernst Oertel, the trio combining with AF Soqrat.