RACING at Meydan for 2022 concluded on the Friday before Christmas with a quality card. The highlight was the Listed The Entisar, over the same 10 furlongs on dirt as the Group 1 Dubai World Cup.

It was dominated by Bhupat Seemar whose two runners, in a field of seven, fought out the final furlong, Remorse and Tadhg O’Shea denying James Doyle aboard Bendoog.

A five-year-old gelded son of Dubawi owned by Al Rashid Stables, Remorse went one better than last year.

After landing a mile Jebel Ali handicap on his seasonal debut last year, Seemar’s charge was runner-up in the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile and Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 over this trip and identical conditions to the Dubai World Cup. In the latter he finished sixth, beaten less than five lengths.

O’Shea said: “That was a perfect return; I rode him as if he was the best horse in the race, and the small field probably helped him. He was getting tired late on, but his class has seen him through.”

The meeting had the first four Meydan turf races of the new campaign. They included the opening race on the card, a six-furlong maiden.

Adrie de Vries, who has few peers on the Meydan grass, made every post a winning one aboard Abshrek for Rashed Bouresly and the Bouresly Racing Syndicate, the five-year-old Oasis Dream gelding making it third time lucky.

Well beaten on his belated debut at the end of October, he showed more promise when third here on the Meydan dirt. De Vries said: “He has a lot of natural speed and has improved with each start.”

Turf handicap

The first turf handicap of the Meydan season, over nine furlongs, provided Mickael Barzalona with the perfect opportunity to open his account.

He combined with Salem bin Ghadayer to land the spoils aboard the veteran Untold Secret, the 10-year-old competing on grass for the first time since January 2017, for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

Barzalona said: “He has always been a nice horse and one I used to ride in France for André Fabre. He has enjoyed himself this evening.” The son of Shamardal and Confidential Lady was winning for the ninth time, all but one of those coming in the UAE.

Connections were soon celebrating a double after the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial, a seven-furlong race on dirt for two-year-old fillies. The American-bred Mimi Kakushi ran out a smooth winner, the City Of Light filly shedding her maiden tag at the third attempt.

Barzalona, riding his 100th UAE winner, said: “The extra furlong in the UAE 1000 Guineas will be a bonus, but the UAE Oaks will really suit her.”

Thriller

A mile and a half turf handicap was an absolute thriller, the lead changing hands on numerous occasions over the final furlong. Sam Hitchcott and Al Nayyir, a four-year-old Dubawi gelding, were last of 10 runners entering the straight, but flew home to snatch what had appeared a most unlikely victory for Doug Watson and Elbashir Salem Elhrari.

A conditions race on turf over 10 furlongs, the Nad Al Sheba Classic, went to Electrical Storm, a first winner of the season, on his UAE debut, for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor. Pat Cosgrave partnered the homebred five-year-old Dubawi gelding to a smooth success. This was the gelding’s second success in 13 outings.

Fourteen juveniles contested the final race on the card, a one-mile maiden, and Doug Watson completed a double, Pat Dobbs and debutant Shirl’s Bee, a Bee Jersey colt homebred by Charles Fipke, winning comfortably. The colt looks to be one to watch for in 2023.

Watson treble includes the Jebel Ali feature

THE meeting up the famous Jebel Ali hill on December 15th was highlighted by the Jebel Ali Stakes Prep, a conditions contest over nine furlongs.

The Listed Jebel Ali Stakes in February was won by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s five-year-old Lost Eden. He was able to overcome a penalty for that big race victory, successfully conceding weight on this occasion to eight rivals, and providing Pat Dobbs with a double and a third consecutive winner on the card for Doug Watson.

Speaking about the son of Sea The Stars, Watson said: “That was very pleasing on his first run back since the end of February and under a penalty. The Jebel Ali Stakes looks the ideal next target.”

Shadwell’s Fanaar ran out the comfortable winner of a seven-furlong handicap, the owner’s retained jockey Dane O’Neill in the saddle for Watson aboard the six-year-old Dark Angel gelding, registering consecutive course and distance victories. He now has four career successes to his name.

Impressive

The champion trainer followed up with the equally impressive Colour Up in the five-furlong handicap when combining with Pat Dobbs in the colours of Sayed Hashish. The four-year-old son of Mehmas has now won half his four starts, adding this to a maiden success at Meydan 16 days earlier. “This looked a good spot to try and get him a Carnival rating which we have hopefully achieved,” said Watson.

The seven-furlong maiden which kicked off proceedings was turned into a procession by Quality Humor, always travelling under Ray Dawson in the colours of Sultan Ali and trained by Ahmad bin Harmash. It was a deserved success for the three-year-old son of Distorted Humor who had finished runner-up on his three outings this season, his first runs since being gelded.

Determined

A nine-furlong handicap was won in determined fashion by Justice Protecol, a three-year-old Time Test colt, who responded gamely to the urgings of Fernando Jara to double his career tally, winning for the first time locally for Ismail Mohammed and Saeed Al Tayer.

A mile maiden for three-year-old concluded the card and City King caused something of a shock under Oscar Chavez, a first UAE winner for owner Hamad Abdulla Ali Obaid Alshamshi and second for rookie trainer Osama Refai. The winner is a son of Ulysses bred by Cheveley Park Stud.

Sharjah stages the final UAE fixture of 2022

THE concluding UAE racing fixture of 2022 was staged at Sharjah on Christmas Eve. Five of the six races on the card were for purebred Arabians.

The final race of the year, and sole thoroughbred event on the card, was a six-furlong handicap. It witnessed an early speed duel between High On Life and Miqyaas.

The latter shook off his persistent challenger soon after halfway and never looked likely to be caught under Oscar Chaves for Rashed Bouresly and the Bouresly Racing Syndicate. Bred by Shadwell, Miqyaas is a seven-year-old son of Oasis Dream and this was his second career win in just nine starts.

A week earlier and again the concluding race was the only one for thoroughbreds. A 10-furlong handicap, it was grabbed late on by Obeyaan, produced in the shadow of the post by Sam Hitchcott to win for Doug Watson and Sultan Ismail Ahmad Abdulla Albalooshi.

O’Shea rides landmark winner for owner

AN 11-furlong handicap for horses in private ownership opened proceedings at Abu Dhabi on December 15th, with Tadhg O’Shea, riding for champion owner Khalid Khalif Al Nabooda, landing the race for purebred Arabians on AF Ramz, trained by Ernst Oertel.

It was UAE winner number 400 for the owner. Connections were celebrating a double.

The concluding mile handicap, the only thoroughbred race on the card, produced something of a surprise, Sandro Paiva bringing Mouser fast and late to claim the prize for Mohamed Ibrahim and owner Sultan Ismail Ahmad Abdulla Albalooshi. A maiden after nine runs, the six-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy was unraced when owned by Godolphin.

Listed win

A week later, at the same venue, and thoroughbreds were the centre of attraction as seven runners, the smallest field on the six-race card which was otherwise confined to purebred Arabians, faced the starter in the 11-furlong Listed Abu Dhabi Championship.

The race was won in style by the only filly in the race, the four-year-old Wickywickywheels, saddled by Bhupat Seemar for James ‘Jimmy’ Mearns Long. He also bred the four-year-old daughter of his own The Carbon Unit. She was completing an Abu Dhabi Championship double for Tadhg O’Shea.

Making her local debut, the filly has now won six times this year, following five victories when trained by Jim Goldie. O’Shea said: “That is a wonderful result for the yard and a very enthusiastic owner/breeder. We are all delighted.”

Long added: “She is a special filly and we think she is very good. We have a plan mapped out at the Carnival, as long as she stays sound. I have all the family so, as a breeder, this is a big result and just brilliant.”

Also a listed contest but for three-year-olds, the mile Abu Dhabi Championship Purebred Arabian attracted a capacity field of 16. Fifteen of them may as well have stayed at home with Unleashed, always travelling the best under O’Shea, scoring impressively for Jaber Bittar and Al Reef Stables.