Ed Marnane
The Listed Abu Dhabi Championship takes centre stage on the six-race card at Abu Dhabi on Thursday, the final meeting of 2022 in the capital of the UAE. This season’s renewal has drawn a small field and it doesn’t look a strong line-up, as only three of the seven runners can boast a rating above a 100.
Away He Goes, not seen on UAE soil since running third behind Subjectivist in the 2021 Dubai Gold Cup, needs to bounce back, having shown little in three outings in the UK earlier in the year. He’s a quirky type and makes little appeal returning from a four-month break.
Ursa Minor, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash, made massive strides last season, winning a valuable handicap off 81 at the Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan before producing a career-best when third behind Alfareeq in Group 1 company in the Jebel Hatta.
He rounded off his campaign in the Dubai Turf, on the World Cup undercard, trailing in a long way behind the dead-heaters Lord North and Panthalassa. He will enjoy the drop in grade and hails from a yard going well. He holds obvious claims on his Abu Dhabi debut.
Mordin, trained by Salem bin Ghadayer, enjoyed the switch to turf when impressing on his seasonal debut at Abu Dhabi five weeks ago. Always traveling strongly, he readily quickened clear to beat Al Qaqaa and eight others. Now rated 93, he will need to take improve, stepping up in class.
Wickywickywheels, the mount of Tadhg O’Shea, makes her local debut for trainer Bhupat Seemar. She was highly progressive for Scottish trainer Jim Goldie, winning five times at Hamilton between late May and the end of August.
The daughter of The Carbon Unit, the sole filly in the line-up, has to raise her game on her Listed debut, and may have to settle for minor honours.
Julio Olascoaga-trained El Patriota, rated 98, has the advantage of a run having made a pleasing comeback in a 16-runner 1600m handicap at Abu Dhabi last month. He will enjoy stepping up in distance and is proven under the conditions, having run second to Law Of Peace in last season’s Abu Dhabi Championship.
He gets the vote to continue his trainer’s good start to the season in the Emirates.
The pick of the supporting card is the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship for three-year-old Arabians, Race 3.
The race, over 1600m, has attracted a full field of 16 and looks a good opportunity for French import Sincerely, the highest rated horse in the field with a mark of 97. Winner at Mont-De-Marsan in August, he was last seen in action contesting the Group 1 Qatar Arabian Trophy at Saint-Cloud.
He wasn’t totally disgraced, finishing 14 lengths behind the winner Al Ghadeer on soft ground. He can provide his trainer Helal Alawi with a welcome winner having made a poor start to the season.
Pat Dobbs has enjoyed a productive campaign at Abu Dhabi this season, highlighted by San Donato’s romp in the Listed National Day Cup earlier in the month. He has a good ride aboard Suny Du Loup in the UAE Arabian Derby, Race 5.
The 102-rated four-year-old colt confirmed the promise of his local debut when winning a course-and-distance handicap, getting up in the dying strides to catch Only Smoke. He clearly enjoyed the step up in distance on that occasion, and has sound claims of following up.
On official ratings, Izmir de Carrere, rated 107, demands obvious respect, despite running poorly on dirt at Al Ain on his local debut for trainer Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi. Before switching to the UAE, he had shown a decent level of ability in France, winning two of his seven starts. The highlight of his campaign was a good third behind Samila in the Qatar Derby at Chantilly in June.
Racing gets under way with a 1400m maiden for UAE-bred maidens. Nine of the 16 runners are unraced, so it is a race that needs to be treated with caution.
Champion jockey O’Shea, the top rider at Abu Dhabi, is an eye-catching booking for Es Dawahi. Tailed off on his racecourse debut at Abu Dhabi, he showed improved form at Sharjah next time, staying on strongly in the closings stages to finish 4.50 lengths behind Muram. The draw has been kind to him and he should go close for trainer Ibrahim Aseel.
South African trainer Ernst Oertel and O’Shea team up in the 2200m handicap, Race 2, with the unexposed Af Rasam. He has progressed with racing since returning from his summer break and deservedly won a handicap over the same course and distance earlier in the month, having twice run well in defeat. He hasn’t had much racing and is fancied to follow up.
Best Bet: Race 5 No 12 Suny Du Loup
Best Value: Race 6 No 2 El Patriota
Best Swinger: Race 6 No 2 El Patriota and 4 Ursa Minor
JACKPOT
(Races 3 to 6)
R64
Leg 1: 8, 12, 15, 16
Leg 2: 3, 6
Leg 3: 4, 5, 7, 12
Leg 4: 2, 4