Ed Marnane
Approaching the final weeks of the season in the Emirates, Connor Beasley is in pole position to be crowned champion jockey for the first time.
He heads into Abu Dhabi’s meeting on Thursday with a lead of six wins over Tadhg O’Shea, the 11-times UAE Champion jockey and winningmost rider in the Emirates.
Beasley, who has ridden 37 winners and is operating at a 13% strike-rate this season, has rides in five of the six races and his best chance of winner is aboard Lost Gold in the 2400m handicap, the final contest and the sole thoroughbred race on the card. Trained by Ahmad bin Harmash for owner Mohammed Al Suboosi, he produced an improved performance when a good third behind Ala Kaifi over the same course and distance last month.
Lost Gold, who began his career with Saeed bin Suroor, is lightly raced and is only having his sixth start on turf. This looks a good opportunity to register his first success since winning a minor event at Wolverhampton for Godolphin on his racecourse debut in December 2021.
Ala Kaifi, trained by Ismail Mohammed, has to defy a career-high mark to follow up and give his in-form trainer another win in the UAE capital, five days after sending out Nibras Passion to win the President Cup (Listed). Ala Kaifi is entitled to improve for his recent victory, having been off the track nearly three months. He’s one to consider if finding improvement on just his tenth lifetime start.
Desert Snake, Mohammed’s second runner, split Ala Kaifi and Lost Gold on his last visit to Abu Dhabi before finishing behind the placed horses in a competitive handicap at Meydan. The four-year-old is reunited with Andre de Vries and back at a track he likes, he should go well.
Of the rest, One World makes most appeal. Trained by Bhupat Seemar, he has slipped in the ratings and wasn’t disgraced behind Intricacy in a competitive handicap at Meydan, having met trouble in running. He was making late headway when hampered inside the final furlong, so in the circumstances to finish less than eight lengths behind the winner wasn’t a poor effort.
Racing opens with an Arabian maiden, over a distance of 1600m. Kombat Hipolyte is fancied to give Irish rider Ben Coen a winner, five days after the French-bred Arabian ran second to Singasong Al Maury in a similar event. He is ideally berthed in stall one for a horse that likes to make the running.
Well-bred filly Njoud, whose granddam was a Group 1 winner, made an encouraging start to her career when third behind Al Dinari at Abu Dhabi last month. She’s a big player if building on that promise for trainer Eric Lemartinel in the hands of Jules Mobian.
Later on the card, Lemartinel and Mobian combine with once-raced Aaziza in the 2200m maiden, Race 3. The daughter of Aseem, out of a two-time Group 3 winner, was a pleasing second behind Ammar here earlier in the season. She kept on well in the closing stages in the 1400m maiden, shaping like she be suited going up in distance. In a modest event, she can get the job done and give her trainer a welcome winner.
Race 2, the opening handicap over 1200m, has attracted a full field of 14 and is a competitive contest. Former champion, Richard Mullen returns to Abu Dhabi five days after winning the Group 1 HH President’s Cup and is booked to ride the consistent Es Sudani, a three-time winner at Abu Dhabi last season. He’s has improved since connections dropped him back to a mile and he produced a solid run when four lengths fourth behind Rb Kings Bay, his latest appearance. The decision to step him down in distance could pay dividends and being drawn in stall five is an advantage.
Af Marmuq, Tadhg O’Shea’s mount, leads the three-pronged assault for South African trainer Ernst Oertel. The six-year-old, a winner at Abu Dhabi last month, is hard to ignore back on grass after finishing a good third in a big field at Jebel Ali.
From the foot of the weights, the Irfan Ellahi–trained Jap Eshraq is one to consider on handicap debut. She hails from a yard in terrific form, is unexposed and enjoyed her biggest here, winning the Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic. An opening mark of 85 looks fair and her No 3 draw has been kind.
SELECTIONS
Race 1
2 KOMBAT HIPOLYTE 10 NJOUD 16 TS MOROOJ 7 CARAVAGGIO
Race 2
10 ES SUDANI 12 AF MARMUQ 4 AL LAITH 14 JAP ESHRAQ
Race 3
13 AAZIZA 2 BILAL DE MONLAU 4 MOURTAJEZ AL CHAM 10 AF AATIYA
Race 4
1 AF ALMOHEEB 4 MAKHTAR 8 TAAJER 5 MEEQAT
Race 5
1 AF AL BAHER 11 MUJAHED BR 13 WILD SON 6
IBN DES VIALETTES
Race 6
12 LOST GOLD 3 ONE WORLD 1 ALA KAIFI 4 DESERT SNAKE
Best Bet: 13 Aaziza [Race 3]
Best Value: 3 One World [Race 6]
Best Swinger: 2 Kombat Hipolyte and 10 Njoud [Race 1]
Jackpot
[Races 3-6]
R64
Leg 1: 2
Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 8
Leg 3: 1, 6, 11, 13
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 12