THE turf highlight on the card, the nine-furlong Group 1 Jebel Hatta, is a prep for the $5 Dubai Turf on World Cup night, and it was won by Alfareeq, trained at Meydan by Musabbeh Al Mheiri. The five-year-old Shadwell homebred was a taking winner under Dane O’Neill, the pair completing a big race turf double on the card for the owner.

Settled in midfield on the rail, but not far off the pace, the winner was able to take advantage of an early slow pace, a tactic that affected the chances of many of the leading fancies. O’Neill was able to secure racing room when he needed it and found a willing partner, the pair hitting the front inside the final half a furlong.

Race favourite Lord Glitters was among those compromised by the slow gallop, and he produced his usual rally at the end to finish sixth. Afareeq was winning for the fourth time, his third in the UAE, and this was by some way his best career effort.

Position

O’Neill said: “He behaved himself in the stalls and broke well, which meant I was able to get him in the position I wanted from the start. The key is to relax him and use that turn of foot because he can quicken which is always a massive asset in these races.”

Run over 10 furlongs on dirt, the purebred Arabian Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 kicked off proceedings and Fernando Jara was rewarded for his positivity, sending Jugurtha De Monlau straight to the front and the pair stayed there for Yas Racing and Jean-Claude Pecout. The same connections also raced the runner-up Brraq who won this race last year.

Another homebred, the six-year-old entire was recording just his second career victory and first locally on what was his sixth start, his previous win coming over 10 furlongs on turf in Europe almost two years earlier. Jara said: “We broke well so I was able to get to the front, dictate my own fractions and then he quickened nicely when I asked him.”