RACING at Meydan returned last Friday, the seven-race card on dirt featuring six races for thoroughbreds. Two handicaps were the highlights, the first over a mile producing a fantastic duel between Pitcher’s Point and Al Maroom, both saddled by Bhupat Seemar for Al Rashid Stables.

The former with Tadhg O’Shea in the saddle prevailed, the pair regaining the initiative right on the line having been headed in the shadow of the post. Connections were celebrating a quick double as they also won the preceding seven-furlong handicap. A four-year-old gelded son of Medaglia D’Oro, the winner was successful twice in Britain for John Gosden.

O’Shea said: “To be honest I thought I was beat, but full credit to my fellow because he just kept battling away and put his head back in front on the line. It was a great effort from both horses.”

The previous race was turned into a procession by Western Symphony, who left his seven rivals trailing. Bred in Ireland by Godolphin, the four-year-old gelding by Shamardal won a mile maiden on the all-weather at Newcastle on the second of five starts in Britain for Charlie Appleby. This was fifth outing for Seemar, and by far his best performance in the UAE.

Book Review

The second feature on the card, over nine and a half furlongs, attracted a field of seven runners but only ever really concerned one. Book Review was sent straight to the front by Royston Ffrench, the pair entering the home straight clear and staying on strongly to score emphatically for trainer Salem bin Ghadayer and owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

The winner is a five-year-old Godolphin-bred son of Dubawi. Ffrench said: “We know he goes well fresh, and once he has a lead he is a very hard horse to get past. Hopefully he can have a good season and be a bit more consistent than he has been in the past.”

The new Meydan season kicked off with the first two-year-old race in the UAE, a six-furlong maiden in which Sharp Army and Ray Dawson were always in the first two, before dominating over the final half a furlong for trainer Ahmad bin Harmash and owner Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi.

A US-bred son of Sharp Azteca, the winner cost $40,000 at Ocala in April of this year, and showed a determined attitude to lead early on before being headed just after halfway. He fought back with determination to lead where it really mattered.

Debutant

Dawson said: “We had a bad draw [outside], so to do that as he has is very pleasing with a debutant juvenile. The owner has invested at the sales over the summer, so it is nice get that early winner for him.”

Doug Watson dominated the 10-furlong handicap, saddling the first two. Pat Cosgrave, in the silks of Elbashir Salem Elhrari, won comfortably aboard the four-year-old Dubawi gelding Al Nayyir, a maiden after three starts, from his stablemate Karnavaal. The latter was staying on but was never going to catch Cosgrave’s mount, who raced once for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby before an excellent fourth, on the Meydan turf, on his debut for current connections.

Cosgrave said: “I was told to ride him patiently and take my time on him and he has done that nicely. There should be more to come from him.”

First winner

A seven-furlong maiden provided a red-letter occasion for rookie trainer Osama Refai.

He saddled his first winner, with just his third runner, Antonio Fresu delivering the victory aboard local debutant Road Bloc to land the spoils for owners Sayed Hashish and Mrs Hana Refai. They were chased home by Hashish’s Colour Up to give the owner a memorable moment, with his silks filling the first two berths.

An American-bred four-year-old gelding by Street Sense, Road Bloc was having just his second career start having been well beaten on his only previous appearance, on turf, in the USA in July 2021.

The Brazilian-bred Upper Class routed his seven opponents in the concluding seven-furlong handicap, providing jockey Jose da Silva with his first UAE winner, riding for Antonio Cintra and owners Stud Guara Del Sur. This was the five-year-old’s first win in the UAE and his fifth in all.

Tenbury Wells stars under Ffrench

A PAIR of handicaps shared the spotlight at Jebel Ali on Saturday afternoon.

The first was won in gutsy fashion by Tenbury Wells, hard ridden to lead in the early stages by Royston Ffrench and then never headed in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum for Salem bin Ghadayer.

A gelded son of Medaglia D’Oro, it was a fourth career success for the five-year-old, and his second in the UAE. Both have been at Jebel Ali and over a mile. Tenbury Wells won twice in Britain for John Gosden before swapping continents. “He is a lovely horse, and probably unlucky not to have won more for us, as he did not always have the best of luck in the past. That is the perfect start to his new season,” said Ffrench.

El Baareq was sent straight to the front in a six-furlong handicap by Richard Mullen, and their three rivals never threatened to land a blow. This victory saw Rashed Bouresly and the Bouresly Racing Syndicate off the mark for the new season.

The Munnings four-year-old colt had run well for a long way in a more competitive race the previous Saturday, and took full advantage of that race fitness to make it two wins from seven starts, all locally, with both victories over this course and distance.

Confident

Pat Dobbs always appeared confident aboard One Idea, and the pair delivered the goods in a seven-furlong handicap for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum and Doug Watson. The owner also bred the five-year-old Dubawi gelding. The winner opened his account over a mile on the Meydan turf at the beginning of February, and was doubling his tally here with a first success on dirt.

The winning trainer and jockey doubled up in a mile handicap, Dobbs delivering the Irish-bred No Nay Never five-year-old Verboten to lead in the dying strides for Al Rashid Stables, enjoying their third winner.

Only four went to post for the second featured handicap, over just short of 10 furlongs, and Al Rashid Stables supplied the first two home, winning with the Shadwell-bred Dubawi four-year-old Rakeez, Tadhg O’Shea in the saddle for Bhupat Seemar.

The six-furlong maiden stayed at home, with the four-year-old Mersaal producing a belated winning debut for racecourse patron Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, his 500th winner locally as an owner, and representing the new Jebel Ali Stables’ team of Michael Costa and Jean Van Overmeire. The gelded son of Ghostzapper won in taking fashion.