IT was a quiet week on the racing front in the UAE with just a single thoroughbred race on the cards at Al Ain, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi last weekend.

Tadhg O’Shea won a nine-furlong maiden when Al Ain staged their first meeting of the season last Friday. The rider recorded a comfortable victory aboard I’Tilaf, having his only his third career start.

Unraced when with Godolphin in England, the winner, a five-year-old Darley-bred son of Street Cry, was switched to Ali Rashid Al Raihe for whom he had two starts in March at the end of last season but he was well beaten on both occasions. “He has had very little racing and is a bit of a nervous sort,” said O’Shea. “This will have done his confidence a lot of good and I was happy from a long way out. He has a real dirt pedigree and loves this surface. Hopefully he can be competitive in handicaps now.”

Doug Watson landed the feature purebred Arabian race at Sharjah on Sunday and went on to complete a double, courtesy of Mukhabarat, ridden by Sam Hitchcott, in a seven and a half furlong handicap. The winner was previously trained by Saeed bin Suroor and won a maiden in England.

“The step up in trip has probably been the key,” said Watson. “They went very quick and he was able to run through tiring horses which has suited him. Sam has given him a good ride.”

Mukhabarat is a Darley-bred son of Exceed And Excel and was foaled in Ireland. He comes from the family of the leading first-season sire Zoffany.

Sunday’s third meeting of the season at Abu Dhabi was highlighted by an 11-furlong handicap and it was a memorable one for young jockey Hector Crouch. Stable apprentice to Satish Seemar, he partnered the yard’s Moonlight Dash to a comfortable victory, the pair surging clear just before entering the home straight.

“We have made a good start to the season,” said Seemar. “The horses are running well and he did that nicely tonight.” Crouch added: “It is a great opportunity for me and I am grateful to Mr Seemar and everybody involved. It is obviously special to open my account here and hopefully there are a few more winners to come.”

This was the fourth success for Moonlight Dash in the UAE and came two days after his half-brother by Red Jazz was sold to Ballyhane Stud at the Goffs November Sale.

A report on yesterday’s thoroughbred meeting at Jebel Ali will be carried next week.