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The final UAE racing fixture before Christmas is at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday.
A six-race card highlighted by the finale, the only Thoroughbred race, an ultra-competitive 1600m handicap in which the maximum allowed field of 16 will face the starter.
Billingsgate and Mujeeb share the burden of top-weight with the former one of four in the race owned by Mohd Khaifa Al Basti, the season’s most successful Thoroughbred owner to date. Trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, Billingsgate was a fast finishing third on his only previous start this season a month ago, a 1400m Abu Dhabi handicap. The 7-year-old was also a winner on his previous visit to the capital in January (in a 1400m handicap).
Ben Curtis, in the saddle four weeks ago, maintains the partnership and said: “He ran very well the last day and has been training nicely since. The way he was staying on suggests the extra 200m will suit him and we are expecting a big run.”
Also for Al Basti, Doug Watson saddles both Bowditch and Native Appeal. With Pat Dobbs celebrating Xmas with family in England, Sam Hitchcott has opted to ride the former who will be having just his second local outing after he finished well beaten at Jebel Ali three weeks ago. A 3-year-old gelded son of Nathaniel, he won twice on all-weather surfaces in England for John Gosden, but is seeking a maiden turf victory at the fourth attempt.
Meanwhile, Native Appeal, the mount of the stable’s apprentice, Adam McLean, is a 3-year-old colt by Exceed and Excel having his third start of the campaign and eighth career outing. After dirt outings at both Meydan and Jebel Ali, and five runs on all-weather surfaces for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby, this is actually his turf debut.
Watson also has a third contender with George Buckell partnering Estikmaal for EERC (Emirates Entertainment Racing Club). He has finished well beaten at Jebel Ali twice this season, but should appreciate the switch to turf, the surface on which he registered his sole career success, over 1800m at Chantilly. That was actually his racecourse debut, as a 2-year-old, in October 2015 when trained by Freddy Head for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
“Native Appeal ran well at Meydan first time, but then just did not handle Jebel Ali,” Watson said. “He is training very nicely, as are all three of mine. Bowditch we really like and, again, struggled at Jebel Ali, but will be much happier on turf. He will stay further, while Estikmaal is in great form.”
The owner’s fourth runner is Daffg, to be ridden by Fernando Jara for Ahmad bin Harmash because stable jockey Connor Beasley has elected to ride the same trainer’s Pathway to Honour. The latter is a 1400m Abu Dhabi winner on seasonal debut in November last year. The 6-year-old remains winless since. He was just behind Billingsgate in the 1400m handicap four weeks ago when, like that rival, running on strongly and his only other victory, in February 2015, was over 1600m, albeit on the all-weather at Lingfield.
The aforementioned Mujeeb, trained by Erwan Charpy for Sheikh Hamdan, is having his fourth run of the campaign having, most recently, finished a good third over 1600m at Jebel Ali. Both his career successes have been registered on turf, most recently in July 2017 over 1600m at Maisons-Laffitte when trained by Head. This will be his second turf start for Charpy having finished well beaten on his UAE debut over 1800m at Meydan in February.
For the same owner, Ronan Whelan partners Tafaakhor for Ali Rashid Al Rayhi, but behind both Billingsgate and Pathway to Honour on his latest start. That 1400m handicap was won by Ajwad, trained by Rashed Bouresly who relies on Aridity in this week’s contest. The mount of Sherman Brown, he was a winner over 1800m at Jebel Ali last season and ran well back there when third, over 1200m, on the very first day of this season at the end of October. However, he has struggled in three subsequent starts, but was a very pleasing third on his most recent turf outing, over 1800m, at Meydan last February.
The best of the Purebred Arabian action is also a 1600m handicap with 14 declared. Champion Jockey Tadhg O’Shea, riding for the last time in 2018 having incurred a two-day suspension at Abu Dhabi last Sunday, partners AF Maher for his main employer, Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda and Ernst Oertel. A course and distance winner in March, he made a winning return to action over 1700m on the dirt at Sharjah in November, but was a bit disappointing on his latest outing, over the same Abu Dhabi 1600m as Sunday’s race.
“We have a better draw this time than last which is a big plus,” O’Shea said. “He has been in good form at home, and hopefully is going to be thereabouts in a competitive race.”
For His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Eric Lemartinel saddles three with Pat Cosgrave aboard Elyaah. However, the stable jockey would have struggled to ‘make the weight’ at 54kg on stable companion Bainoona who will be ridden by Fabrice Veron. A course and distance winner under Cosgrave on her most recent start, a month ago, she looks a big danger to all.
For Sheikh Hamdan and Al Mheiri, Curtis partners AF Monsef who looks another to consider, along with Nizora, to be ridden by Antonio Fresu for Helal Al Alawi who also saddles Da’Areen. Richard Mullen is aboard the last named for Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and another to have won her most recent start, in her case defeating stable companion Nizora over 2000m on the Al Ain dirt surface and supplying her trainer his 100th winner in the process.
