Ed Marnane
Reigning UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea, the winning-most rider in Emirates history, is facing a challenge to retain his crown approaching the final two months of the season.
The Irish native trails Connor Beasley, the season’s top rider with 28 winners, by eight and heads to Abu Dhabi on Thursday looking to close the gap. O’Shea has a full book of rides and in the 2200m Handicap, Race 3, rides AF Al Abadee for South African trainer Ernst Oertel.
Earlier in the month, the local-bred Arabian opened his account in a maiden at Sharjah, easily defeating Mutamasik and 12 others under a front-running ride from O’Shea. He makes plenty of appeal stepping back into handicap company and switching to turf, a surface he is very unexposed.
A full field of 14 Arabians go to post for Race 4, the 1600m Handicap. In-form Andre de Vries, who enjoyed a double at Meydan on Friday, continues his association with the ES Sudani, trained by Hamad Al Marar. A three-time winner at Abu Dhabi, he has improved with racing since returning from his summer break and holds sound claims of opening his account for the campaign.
From the foot of the weights, the French-bred Nibraas is one to consider under Jules Mobian for trainer Eric Lemartinel. He has progressed with racing since arriving in the Emirates, winning on his handicap debut at Sharjah on his latest appearance. He showed minor promise in France on turf and is expected to handle the switch to grass.
Having only his seventh run, he’s very unexposed and remains open to further improvement, unlike most of his rivals.
Tadhg O’Shea has chosen to ride AF Afham, one of three runners representing Ernst Oertel. Sporting the silks of Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, he is a consistent performer and hard to fault his record in competitive handicaps this season. He has the advantage of a good draw in stall three and O’Shea should be able to navigate a ground-saving trip near the rails.
The most valuable race on the card for Arabians is Race 6, the second mile Handicap. Alghabraa, who began her career in Poland before arriving in the UAE, made an encouraging start for Musabbeh Al Mheiri when third here last month, her first run of the season. She made a tardy start and got behind before staying-on to finishing a creditable third. She’s entitled to strip fitter for the race and hails from a yard going well.
Alghabraa’s former trainer, Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi, runs Inqath and merits respect stepping down in class. The seven-year-old, who raced in Qatar before joining Al Ghunaimi, made a pleasing start on his UAE debut in the Group 3 Al Ruwais Stakes seven days ago at Abu Dhabi. He was held up for a run and stayed on nicely in the closing stages to finish third, leaving the impression he would improve for the step up in distance.
AF Maqam, the mount of Tadhg O’Shea showed little earlier in the season, typical of the yard’s fortunes. He bounced back to form at Jebel Ali when a close second to Itchy De Nacre in a 14-runner handicap, beaten a nose. He should be in the mix, despite a minor rise in the ratings.
Racing rounds off with a tricky 1600m handicap, the only race for thoroughbreds on the seven-race card. Decent recent form is thin on the ground and it’s difficult to have a strong view in a race that won’t take much winning.
Bhupat Seemar saddles three runners and riding arrangements suggest Tadhg O’Shea’s mount Maputo is the pick of the Zabeel Stables trio. He hasn’t set the world alight in three starts this season, all on dirt.
Switching to turf, a surface he is very unexposed on, Maputo has claims of taking advantage of a sliding mark in a weak event from a yard firing on all cylinders.
Of the rest, Energetic is a leading player, seven days after finishing a respectable fifth behind Arabian Tale in a 15-runner maiden here. He was given an aggressive ride and in the circumstances, ran better than the bare result. This is an easier assignment and is reunited with Patrick Cosgrave, who is replacing an inexperienced apprentice. He steered the colt to narrow defeat at Jebel Ali on his seasonal reappearance in November.
SELECTIONS
Race 1
5 MEDMAY 2 CARAVAGGIO 4 KASIR AL WATHBA 6 NIZAA AL WATHBA
Race 2
11 AF ALSAMEEN 7 KING DE FLAUZINS 8 MAEN 1 AL MAHER
Race 3
3 SINCERELY 1 AF MAHZAMY 11 IDYLIK EL ALHEM 4 AF MOUHAYER
Race 4
1 ES SUDANI 13 NIBRAAS 3 RAWAAT AL REEF 5 AF AFHAM
Race 5
2 JAP HADAD 6 AF MARMUQ 3 AF MAN’OOT 4 ASTRAL DEL SOL
Race 6
2 ALGHABRAA 3 INQATH 6 AF MAQAM 8 UNLEASHED
Race 7
2 ENERGETIC 3 MAPUTO 11 RAMAH 5 FALL OF ROME
BEST EBT
Race 6 No 2 Alghabraa
VALUE BET
Race 3 No 3 Sincerely
BEST SWINGER
Race 7: No 2-Energetic and No 3-Maputo
JACKPOT
[Races 4-7]
R64
Leg 1: 1, 3, 5, 13
Leg 2: 2, 6,
Leg 3: 2, 3, 6, 8
Leg 4: 2, 3