Arabian
Racing Review
Dubai
Day Newbury 2009
by Paul Simmons
The
Emirates Airline Premier Handicap Stakes 0-75 over 7 Furlongs
(1400 m):
A massive field of 23 went to post for this arguably
the most competitive handicap in the UK. They broke quickly form
the stalls with Sakeena Sky Zayin and Sabden at the head of affairs
helping force a decent gallop. As they the two furlong marker
it was Whisper who swept into the lead with Mr Ben travelling
well in behind. As they hit the final furlong it was Mr Ben under
a well timed ride from Daragh O’Donohoe who went to the
front with Sabden, Miswadah, Lamy and Al Mamoon all chasing in
behind and Balladore who was being stoked along down the centre
of the track by a determined Dennis Batteate. As they came inside
the final half furlong Batteate set sail for home under Balladore
but Mr Ben fought back and they were head to head all the way
to the line with 25/1 chance Balladore under a superb ride from
Batteate just getting up to score by neck from Mr Ben and a very
brave Miswadah a head back in third. The winner Balladore (Dormane
x Ballade Folle) showed a useful turn of foot and should build
on this effort for owner and breeder James Kippen. Winning trainer
and jockey Dennis Batteate (a former UAE Champion jockey back
in 1992) said afterwards “She’s genuine and well bred….and
I wasn’t surprised that she won” . Mr Ben (Bengali
D’Albret x Widget (Galeon)) was very unlucky and came with
a powerful challenge in the closing stages but couldn’t
quite hold on to victory for owner and trainer Beverley Paterson,
whilst stable mate Miswadah (Makzan x Shunah (Shomran)) looked
out paced early on but came with an impressive strong late flurry
in the final furlong and was finishing best of all at the end.
Lamy (for owner breeder Dr M A Al Nujaifi) ran an eye catching
race back in fourth and was staying on at the end and battled
home to take fourth from stable mate Sabden.
The
Al Hai Group Zaabeel International Stakes Group 1 over 6 Furlongs
(1200m):
It was the Swedish raider Al Raai who set s scorching
pace from the start with Qatar based Zaeem Al Shajaa and the Iraqi
bred Al Harith all chasing in his slip stream. Dariya was held
up with a run at the back of the field but made smooth headway
to lead inside the final two furlongs with Al Raai and the rest
of the field hard ridden in behind. As Dariya (Dormane x CR Samborsta)
hit the final furlong Phillipe Sogrob kicked clear and pulled
away by two lengths at the line for a confident victory for French
trainer Robert Litt and owner and breeder HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin
Zayed Al Nahyan. Al Raai (Riyal x Penelope) ran an outstanding
race back in second, making all the running he ran on strongly
in the closing stages to take a clear second on the line. Whilst
Al Harith and Ircalan DA had a mighty battle inside the final
half furlong for third with Steve Drowne riding a fantastic finish
on the Adam Newey trained Al Harith (Asad Saif x Wadha Al Thania)
– owned and bred by Dr M A Al Nujaifi – just getting
up on the line for to secure the placing. Ircalan DA ran a very
brave race back in fourth for his Belgium Owner and trainer.
The
Emirates NBD Hatta (Mares) International Stakes Group 1 over 1
Mile 2 Furlongs (2000 m):
Acca DA the Belgium runner set the pace from the start
but the pace was rather pedestrian in the good to soft ground,
Estival went second and the rest of the field settled in behind.
As they rounded the home bend it was Mi Temps De Piboul who went
to the head of the field with Nokomys, Quesche Du Paon and Tameemah
all travelling ominiously well in behind. From the two furlong
marker Simon Walker made a bold bid for victory on the classy
Nokomys, but Gerald Avranche didn’t look concerned on Quesche
Du Paon and sent her to the front inside the final furlong and
was all out the winner, but Nokomys fought back bravely inside
the final half furlong and chased the idling winner all the way
to the line going down bravely by a neck, with Tameemah slightly
one paced back in third. Quesche du Paon (Akbar x Bint El Bedia)
is a progressive mare and relished the soft ground to out battle
this classy field of mares for trainer Jean-Francois Bernard and
owner Prince Khaled Bin Sultan Al Saud and this race puts her
right back in contention for the mares Breeders Cup which she
won last year. Nokomys (Amer x KTP Mystic Flight (Wiking)) was
so brave and deserved to win for owner and breeder Jane Haddock,
she fought her heart out to the line and lost nothing in defeat
after landing the bridesmaid role for the second year in a row.
Tameemah (Amer x Sarahmina) looked uncomfortable on the soft going,
but to her credit she ran on well in the final furlong to hold
onto third ahead of Mi Temps De Piboul and Estival.
The
Shadwell Dubai International Stakes Group 1 over 1 Mile 2 Furlongs
(2000m):
An outstanding renewal of this the most valuable and
prestigious race Group Arab race in the UK and it didn’t
disappoint with 13 top class performers going to post. The brave
Hespeshal set off out in front with Shibl, Magic Du Loup, Asraa
Min Albarq and RM El Nino all chasing in behind, with market leaders
and world class performers Al Dahma, Fryvolous, No Risk Al Maury
and Nashwan Al Khalidiah all content to be held up in the field.
Shibl took the lead inside the final four furlongs upping the
tempo, with stablemate No Risk Al Maury – bidding for an
historic third victory – forging his way to the head of
the pack to lead inside the final furlong under a determined Richard
Hills, but Al Dahma was tracking menacingly in behind. As they
galloped into the final furlong the world class mare Al Dahma
quickened clear under a powerful ride from David Bouland and set
sail for home, but to his credit No Risk Al Maury was stride to
stride with her all the way to the line with Fryvolous and Al
Fatih blazing a trail down the centre of the track and all four
were virtually head to head as they came inside the shadow of
the post. Al Dahma was all out under David Bouland and held on
by a neck for victory from No Risk Al Maury, whilst Fryvolous
and Al Fatih dead heated for third. Al Dahma (Amer x Al Hanoof
(Manganate) stamped her class on this race and the handy 5 lb
mares allowance seemed to clinch this victory for this incredible
mare who is credit to trainer Alban De Mieulle and owner and breeder
HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani (Umm Qarn Farms) who last
took this race back in 2006 with Majd Al Arab. No Risk Al Maury
lost his unbeaten record at this track but categorically proved
his world class credentials as a race horse by running Al Dahma
to neck and beating the mighty Fryvolous and last years Derby
winner Nashwan Al Khalidiah, and to have landed this race twice
is impressive and coming second to Al Dahma is no disgrace. Fryvolous
and Al Fatih finished like bullets and in a few more strides mayb
have dead heated for victory, Fryvolous (Dormane x Fryga) didn’t
have a clear run and seemed uncomfortable on the ground but to
his credit he ran on strongly in the closing stages and finished
fast and furious in the closing stages to dead heat with an impressive
Al Fatih (Amer x Noorah).
The
Emirates Equestrian Federation International Stakes (3 yrs old)
Group 2 over 7 Furlongs (1400m):
This juvenile event turned into a procession as Bill
Smith unleashed a potential superstar for the Athbah Stud when
Altobello (Kerbella x Altamar Nedji) bolted to victory here in
a style to suggest he will be a leading player in the Derby next
year. The field started at a moderate pace with Altobello and
Katwalk out in front and the others held up behind. However, the
writing was on the wall a long from home Altobello superbly ridden
by Simon Walker stretched clear of the field two furlongs from
home with the only runner posing a moderate threat being Jaady.
As these two went clear inside the final furlong Altobello was
a good six lengths clear and won as he liked on the line by four
lengths making the rest of the field look very ordinary. Jaady
(Prince D’Orient x Alharir) ran an eye catching race on
his debut in second for HH Sheikh Hamdan and Gill Duffield, he
rallied hard in the closing stages and whilst he had no chance
with the winner he was well clear of the field. Saladin DA (Altis
Del Sol x Nahora DA) from Belgium was always handy and came with
a good run inside the final furlong to hold onto third ahead of
a tiring Sestamina.
The
Jebel Ali Racecourse Premier Handicap Stakes 0-115 over 1 Mile
5 Furlongs (2600m):
They went no pace at all with Aljaareh (a winner of
this race in ‘07 & ’08) setting off in front with
Noble Athlete and Malik D’Or snapping at his heels in behind.
As they approached the final two furlongs Taabeer made an effort
to go for home with Aljaareh galloping head to head, whilst Deolali
was staying on determinedly down the centre of the track. But
as they came inside the final furlong it was Al Mannsoub (Akbar
x Morgane De Piboul) under a power packed ride from Tighe O’Shea
in the colours of HH Sheikh Hamdan who came with a wet sail and
powered clear to win going away by eleven lengths for trainer
Gill Duffield. Back in second was an incredible performance from
Deolali (Khairoaun x Operetta (Silver Scenario)) – who has
been fourth in this race for the last two years – aged 10
he shows no sign of time diminishing his ability and stayed on
really strongly to take hold onto second for trainer Adam Newey
ahead of Taabeer (Vasilisk x Bisbille), whilst Aljaareh under
top weight was a gallant neck back in fourth.
The
Jumeirah Group Handicap Stakes 0-90 over 1 Mile (1600 m):
Gill Duffield and HH Sheikh Hamdan followed up in this
race with a double when the ultra smart Riko (Dormane x Cary De
Carrere) lived up to his family’s impressive reputation
(brother Kaolino won G1 Kahayala Classic and sister Quaolino won
G1 Zaabeel Stakes) to land an convincing victory here on only
his second start. A winner of his maiden he was held up in the
field as the ever tough Shuhood and Jelvita cut out the early
running setting a decent pace on the soft going. As they came
inside the final two furlong a bang in form Martin Smith kicked
for home on Riko and galloped clear inside the final furlong to
win by two lengths. Recent Fontwell winner Yaqoot (Darike x Nirva
De Cardonne) gamely battled on in the final furlong and came with
a strong run but never looked like winning, but was in turn comfortably
clear of the Royal Cavalry of Oman’s useful looking maiden
A’Naser (Newday x A’Sabooh) who ran another big race.
Whilst Jelvita held onto fourth by a nose from a staying on Al
Janoob who ran a game race under top weight on his second start.