Mujeeb looks best in Abu Dhabi G1

Ed Marnane

On Thursday, Abu Dhabi stages their penultimate meeting of the season, a six-race card headlined by the Group 1 Emirates Championship, over 2200m for Arabians.

This year’s renewal is a decent contest, nine of the 14 runners are rated 110 and upwards and Mujeeb, trained by Salem Al Ketbi, looks the one to beat under regular rider Richard Mullen.

Rated 121, he won the H H The President Cup, over the same course and distance, last month when delivered with a well-timed challenge by Mullen to deny Somoud and Hameem. His performance deserves to be upgraded having endured a wide trip from his double-figure draw, while the electric turn of foot he produced was impressive.

Course-specialist Somoud, trained by Abu Dhabi-based French native Jean de Roualle, was denied a historic third successive H H The President Cup but lost little in defeat under Antonio Fresu. Now nine, he continues to retain his enthusiasm and ability, and under his optimum conditions, he rates the biggest threat to Mujeeb on a track over which he has won eight times.

Top French rider Cristian Demuro is an eye-catching booking for Izadi Star, replacing South African born Jean van Overmeire. Trained by Helal Alalawi, he ran well when fourth behind Mujeeb, beaten just over two lengths.

It was welcome return to form for the French-bred five-year-old having shown little on his seasonal reappearance earlier in the season. Izadi Star, who began his career in France, is reunited with Demuro who rode him when he was beaten a neck in the Qatar Derby Des Pur-Sang Arabes (Group 1) at Chantilly last June.

Izadi Star, who can boast winning form at Abu Dhabi, is nicely drawn and is one to consider.

South African trainer Ernst Oertel has his team firing on all cylinders, saddling four winners last week.

With six meetings left before the curtain comes down on the season at Al Ain next month, Oertel has an outside chance of winning the trainer’s title for the first time since 2019. Oertel, who is four behind the current leader Doug Watson on 33 winners, saddles 13 runners across five of the six races and holds a strong hand in Race 2, the 1400m handicap.

Af Sail, the mount of Tadhg O’Shea, looks Oertel’s best chance of his three runners. Owned by Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, the season’s top owner, he has enjoyed a productive campaign, winning three of his five races.

He wasn’t beaten far in a competitive 14-runner handicap here two weeks ago and clearly merits respect. In an open-looking event, Af Heraqle, Al Suhooj, Horganza are feared, as the trio come here in good form and are proven at Abu Dhabi.

Recent Al Ain winner Es Jenjal is very unexposed and makes his handicap debut. He’s unproven on turf but if handling the conditions, he should be thereabouts. Bant Al Emarat, a recent winner over the course and distance, completes the shortlist.

Oertel and O’Shea team up the progressive Af Afham in the 1600m handicap, for UAE-foaled Arabians, 30 minutes later. He made a pleasing comeback after a lengthy layoff last month, before winning his next two starts, both at Abu Dhabi. He has climbed in the ratings, but is fancied to defy the handicapper, once again.

Racing opens with a UAE-bred maiden over 1400m. It’s a modest race and looks a good opportunity for Khalaf Al Wathba to open his account following an encouraging debut at Sharjah earlier in the season.

It’s an obvious concern he has been off since, suggesting he had a setback. That said, he brings the best form to the race and should win.

His rider, Bernardo Pinheiro, a native of Brazil is enjoying his best season in the Emirates, and recently was crowned Best Local Jockey at sixth edition of HH Sheikh Mohammed Horse Racing Excellence Awards in Dubai.

Race 6, the sole thoroughbred race on the card, has drawn a full field of 16 and champion trainer Bhupat Seemar has five runners in 2400m event. Stable jockey O’Shea has chosen to ride Webinar, a lightly raced Dubawi gelding who made a promising start behind the highly progressive gelding Justice Protecol for Seemar at Jebel Ali.

A winner at Vicky for French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, he kept on well in the closing stages to finish less than five lengths behind a gelding that has made massive strides since arriving in the UAE this season.

Well-bred Webinar, out of a Blond Me, a Grade 1 winner in Canada, should improve going up to 2400m and holds sound claims, despite being done no favours with his draw.

Mount Kosciuszko spearheads Doug Watson’s challenge, one of four runners representing Red Stables. The four-year-old, the mount of Pat Dobbs, made a good impression on his UAE debut at Jebel Ali, making eye-catching late headway to finish second to Tolmount.

He was a consistent type for Richard Hannon in the UK and jumping from an inside draw he should get the run of the race.

BEST BET

Race 5 No 9 Mujeeb

VALUE BET

Race 4 No 2 Af Kayed

BEST SWINGER

Race 5: 9-Mujeeb and 13-Somoud

JACKPOT

R72

(Races 3-6)

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3

Leg 2: 2, 4, 5, 9

Leg 3: 9, 13

Leg 4: 9, 11, 14