Ed Marnane
The Group 2 Liwa Oasis is the highlight of today’s card at Abu Dhabi and this year’s renewal looks strong with AF Alajaj, a two-time Group 2 winner at Meydan last year, the joint highest ranked Arabian with a mark of 112 in the field.
Trained by South African Ernst Oertel for Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, he must bounce back after disappointing in Round I of the Al Maktoum Challenge last month. Drawn out wide, he was slowly away and never landed a blow when finishing a distance behind RB Rich Lyke Me in the Group 1 contest.
AF Alajaj, the mount of champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea, has a decent record at Abu Dhabi, winning three of his five races. Penalised for winning the Mazrat Al Ruwayah, he must concede weight to his 12 rivals as he bids to give his connections their first victory in the race since AF Alwajel won the 2020 renewal.
He holds sound claims and clearly the one to beat if back to his best.
Namrood, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, has been in good form all season and arrives on the back of a personal best, winning the Al Ruwais at Abu Dhabi last month, and escapes a penalty for winning the Group 3 event.
On that occasion, he overcame a tardy start and troubled passage when delivered close home to defeat Maahir and five others. With a proven record over the track and progressing nicely, he makes plenty of appeal under Italian rider Antonio Fresu.
Pat Dobbs has enjoyed a good season at Abu Dhabi, highlighted by his victory aboard San Donato in the National Day Cup, and he can boast an 18% strike rate at the track. He continues his association with Suny Du Loup, winner of two of his four races at Abu Dhabi, for trainer Hamad Al Mara.
The French-bred five-year-old takes a big step down in class having finished a creditable third behind Mujeeb in Group 1 company two weeks ago. The drop from 2200m to 1400m is a query but he has won over the distance on his racecourse debut in Warsaw in May 2021. Suny Du Loup, rated 112, is a smart Arabian and a major player, despite being done no favours with the draw (14).
The middle leg of the Arabian Triple Crown (R2), Race 4, looks a good opportunity for the exciting and unexposed Joe Star, trained by Helal Alalawi for the National Stables. He caught the eye on his local debut at Al Ain, winning a minor event on dirt in good style, despite showing signs of greenness.
One of four runners for Alalawi in the Group 3 event, for four-year-old Arabians over 2200m, he was one of the leading three-year-olds in France last year. He won a Group 3 on his racecourse debut before rounding off the year when third in the Group 1 Qatar Arabian Trophy Des Poulains at Saint-Cloud.
He’s entitled to come forward for his comeback at Al Ain and commands plenty of respect under his penalty.
RB Kingmaker, winner of the opening leg of the Arabian Triple Crown, gives Alalawi a strong hand and is nicely drawn, so should enjoy a ground-saving trip from stall No 2. The US-bred colt has progressed with racing and bolted up in the second leg last month, readily going clear approaching the final 300m.
RB Kingmaker improved switching to turf and is an obvious threat to his stable companion getting weight on just the fourth run of his career. The reopposing Sincerely, trained by Alalawi and Nadia Du Loup renew rivalry with RB Kingmaker but it’s hard to see them reversing the form on identical terms.
Well-bred RB Stryngs Attached, a brother to Group 1 winner RB Rich Lyke Me, created a big impression when opening his account at Abu Dhabi last month for trainer Fawzi Naas, who enjoyed success with Qaader in the valuable Saudi International Handicap at King Abdulaziz racecourse, in Riyadh, on the eve of the Saudi Cup six days ago.
RB Stryngs Attached made all under Adrie de Vries and ran out a comfortable winner of a modest 1600m maiden. He will need to take a step forward up in class but is a well-bred colt and could easily be up to the task. He can’t be overlooked in a race not many really appeal.
Racing rounds off with a 1400m handicap and a big field of 15 go to post. In a trappy race that has drawn plenty of horses that are bang out of form, Mouser makes plenty of appeal after a respectable effort behind at Meydan on his latest appearance. A winner at Abu Dhabi in December, he kept on to finish fourth behind Sharar, beaten less than eight lengths in an 1800m handicap. The winner was chucked in off 81 on his handicap debut and gave the form a major boost when winning the Jumeriah Derby at Meydan six days ago.
Four days after sending out Time Protecol to win at Jebel Ali, Ismail Mohammed’s team remain in good order and his runner Golden Claim heads the list of dangers, especially jumping from stall two. He ran poorly in his first two starts since switched to the UAE, showing little in dirt handicaps at Jebel Ali and Al Ain. He took a major step forward when switched him to turf finishing a good fourth behind Exciting Days, only his third run on grass.
Michael Costa’s British import Asraabb looks pick of the remainder. Formerly trained by Roger Varian, she was a winner on her handicap debut on the all-weather at Chelmsford last August. She’s a lightly raced filly and is open to further improvement on just her sixth run of her career and second on turf. If primed and ready to strike on the back of a 195-day break, she ought to make an impact on her UAE debut.
State Event appeals at big odds. He ran well on his only appearance at Abu Dhabi, finishing a close second to subsequent Meydan winner Lake Causeway. He never threatened behind Ra’ad at Meydan next time, but it would be no big shock if he bounced back to form over a track he put up his best run of the campaign.
BEST BET
Race 4 No 1 Joe Star
VALUE BET
Race 6 No 2 State Event
BEST SWINGER
Race 5 12-Suny Du Loup and 8-Namrood
JACKPOT
(Races 3 to 6)
R96
Leg 1: 4, 6, 8, 12
Leg 2: 1, 5
Leg 3: 1, 8, 12
Leg 4: 2, 4, 13, 14