Seemar, Costa to fight it out in Abu Dhabi

Ed Marnane

The race to be crowned champion trainer goes down to the wire in the UAE, Bhupat Seemar and Michael Costa are locked on 36 winners, as the pair target Abu Dhabi’s final fixture of the season on Thursday.

The Abu Dhabi Championship headlines the seven-race card and Seemar is chasing back-to-back wins in the 2200m Listed event, having landed the prize 12 months ago with Wickywickywheels. Champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea has chosen to ride the US-bred King Ottoman, one of three runners representing Zabeel Stables.

Five days ago Seemar and O’Shea enjoyed an unforgettable night at Meydan, the pair combined to win the Golden Shaheen with Tuz before Laurel River’s jaw-dropping victory in Dubai World Cup, and they’ll be looking to round off a fantastic season in the UAE capital.

King Ottoman, not seen since finishing a battling second in the Jebel Ali Stakes (Listed), is very unexposed on turf and this is only his second start on grass. He holds several of his rivals on that form in Dubai and is major player if bringing his Jebel Ali effort on his Abu Dhabi debut.

Michael Costa has booked Oscar Chavez to ride the improving Keffaaf, recent winner of handicap over the course and distance and one to consider.

Winner of two of his six races this season, he improved for the step up to 2200m when defeating Ahesta Beo and 12 others, finding plenty for pressure under Ben Coen. He needs to take another step forward stepping up in class, but I fancy will be up to the task, despite being done no favours with the draw and having plenty to find on the official ratings.

The pick of the undercard is the final leg of the Arabian Triple Crown, for four-year-old Arabians over 2200m, the final race. Rb Yas Man, winner of the second leg of the series, renews rivalry with Diyaah and Kanaille De Faust, the pair who chased home the Ahmed Al Balushi-trained winner last month.

Rb Yas Man, who showed a determined attitude and ran on well in the closing stages in Round 2, is fancied to uphold the form and provide his Omani connections with another big prize in Abu Dhabi.

Rb Yas Man, who has to defy a 1kg penalty, is unexposed on turf, having campaigned exclusively on dirt in Oman.

Bhupat Seemar is responsible for four of the 16 runners in the 1400m handicap, Race 5.

It is no shock O’Shea rides Fall Of Rome, who has finished second in his last two races. The son of Frankel makes plenty of appeal in a race that decent recent form is scarce. He ran well behind Energetic on his sole run at Abu Dhabi this season in January, just finding the front-running winner too strong.

Golden Claim, trained by Ismail Mohamed, has a lengthy absence to overcome, having been off 13 months since finishing second to Silent Defense at Abu Dhabi. He’s favourably drawn and the booking of Andre de Vries is eye-catching. It is encouraging Golden Claim defied a 208-day layoff when scoring at Wolverhampton in May 2021.

Racing kicks off with a 1600m maiden for Arabians and a full field of 16 run. In a trappy event, the French import Norax D’arca is an interesting runner on his UAE debut for trainer Majed Al Jahoori.

The four-year-old began his career in Poland, showing promise on his racecourse debut before being sent to race in France. Returning after a seven-month break, he failed to make an impression in a minor event over 2200m at Pau in December. He will appreciate the drop in class and in a modest event, he gets a tentative vote.

South African trainer Ernst Oertel can round off the season in style by winning the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Gold Cup, a local-bred Arabian race over 1600m, with Af Maqam.

Owned and bred by Khalifia Al Nabooda, Oertel’s biggest patron, the mount of Tadhg O’Shea is a consistent performer and ran well in the Mazrat Al Ruwayah, Group 2, at Meydan last month.

Oertel and O’Shea combine with Af Musannef in the 1200m handicap, Race 4.

One of four Arabians representing Oertel and the choice of the champion jockey, he was a winner over the course and distance track two starts back before finishing a close fourth on dirt at Al Ain. He can register his second success of the campaign at Abu Dhabi and take his career tally to nine.

Race 2, the 1600m for fillies and mares, has attracted a maximum field of 16 and the progressive Unlimited is fancied to complete a hat-trick of wins in the hands of Andre de Vries. Trained by Jaber Bittar, she has thrived since connections switched to her to Abu Dhabi in the second half of the season. She has an awkward draw to overcome but will be hard to beat.

SELECTIONS

Race 1

10 NORAX D’ARCA 4 AF MAALI 8 KOKIN DE FASUT 14 AREEJ AL WATHBA

Race 2

7 UNLIMITED 12 SHUROOQ AL WATHBA 9 JAP ESHRAQ 13 AF THARWATY

Race 3

6 AF MAQAM 1 AL LAITH 8 AF YATWY 3 JAP HADAD

Race 4

8 AF MUSANNEF 7 AF NAFITH 10 MEEQAT 5 AF AFHAM

Race 5

7 FALL OF ROME 13 GOLDEN CLAIM 9 IRONSIDE 2 BENZEMA

Race 6

7 KEFFAAF 8 KING OTTOMAN 6 FRANZ STRAUSS 2 ALHZEEM

Race 7

1 RB YAS MAN 14 DIYAAH 2 KANAILLE DE FAUST 11 SINGASONG AL MAURY

Best Bet: 1 Rb Yas Man [Race 7]

Best Value: 7 Keffaaf [Race 6]

Best Swinger: 10 Norax D’arca and 8 Kokin De Faust [Race 1]

Jackpot

[Races 4-7]

R24

Leg 1: 5, 7, 8, 10

Leg 2: 7, 13

Leg 3: 6, 7, 8

Leg 4: 1