Jebel Ali Racecourse opens doors for glorious 28th season today

The exciting new season of Jebel Ali will begin on Friday, with a seven-race card highlighted by 1400m handicap.

The iconic horse shoe-shaped racecourse, in its 28th edition, will host a total of 11 meetings during the season including three internationally recognised Stakes races – the Jebel Ali Stakes, Jebel Ali Mile and Jebel Ali Sprint.

The seven-time UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea will aim to begin his home debut on a winning note wearing the predominately yellow silks of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, patron of Jebel Ali Racecourse.

The fan favourite jockey will saddle two including Haalick and Yajooll.

Besides roping O’ Shea, the Jebel Ali Racecourse also introduced a regular one-mile (1600m) oval dirt training track, similar to that of Meydan, exclusively to train the stable horses.

O’Shea, who created a history last season after becoming the country’s all-time leading jockey with 511 career wins, joined the Jebel Ali Stables as the retained rider for trainer Nicholas Bachalard ahead of season.

After failing to make a mark at the season opener held at the Meydan Racecourse last week, the Irishman opened his account in Abu Dhabi following victorious ride on Eric Lemartinel-trained RB Torch in the inaugural running of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep race.

Sheikh Ahmed wished a successful season to all the owners, jockeys and trainers. “We will have the season as good as last year and even better. There are few things that we have done differently this year in terms of few upgrades on the infrastructure including a new training track.

“Like last year we will host seven races in all the 11 meetings. As a kind of support, we have races for lower rated horses especially at the beginning of the season,” added Sheikh Ahmed.

O’Shea, 37, who equalled Ted Durcan’s record of seven UAE jockey’s titles last season, and is chasing a third-straight crown.

“A lot of illustrious names have ridden in those silks and I feel privileged to have been approached by Nicholas (Bachalard) and (racing manager) Mohammed Saeed Al Shehi and be offered the position,” O’Shea said.

“Jebel Ali obviously has some new horses this season, some promising 2-year-olds from American breeze-up sales and some old timers, so it’s a great opportunity. The (new training track) rides really well and it’s a beautiful facility there where they have the options to train on the track or up the hill.

“It’s a new yard and new season for me, my weight is good and I feel great,” he continued.

“I’ve been very lucky to ride for some tremendous owners and trainers and I approach it without any goals, really. First and foremost, I want to stay in one piece and then I’d like to ride in as many races as I can.”

And that he will. In addition to his contracted job with Jebel Ali, he maintains his notably fruitful relationship with 2018-19 champion owner Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, whose phenomenal Purebred Arabian operation ended the season with 53 wins—19 more than second-placed Godolphin.

O’Shea exits a seventh championship season in which he won 48 races and earned nearly $2 million in prize money, topped by a brilliant ride on Al Nabooda’s AF Maher in the Group 1 $1 million Dubai Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup day.

Said victory was his second DWC night win, having also won the Dubai Kahayla Classic in 2008 with Mizzna.

“While Sheikh Ahmed has the Thoroughbreds, Khalid has Arabians and, touch wood, it hopefully works out well and is going to keep me busy,” he said.

Trainer Bachalard has changed things up a bit for his second season in Dubai as the head of Jebel Ali Stables and hopes to maintain a forward momentum for the 50-strong yard. The former decorated Saudi-based conditioner who has had the privilege of training a Dubai World Cup runner (Ron the Greek, 12th in 2014) is hoping that a new year and new set-up brings about another step in the right direction.

“We have a better idea of the horses in the stable this year and I’m looking forward to the new season,” Bachalard said.

“We are fortunate enough that Sheikh Ahmed agreed to build a new training track this year and it is helping us a lot with our training. It’s outside the Jebel Ali main track and is a regular one-mile (1600m) oval dirt track.”

“Last year was a bit difficult, but hopefully with that experience, we’ve learned a few things we’ll be able to adjust,” he said.

“We look forward to doing that and new horses have arrived, as well. We’re putting some new blood into Jebel Ali and we know it won’t change in just one season or two, but over the next few years and for the long term.

“We bought a few 2-year-olds at the breeze-up sales and a few yearlings and went to OBS (Ocala Sales in Florida),” he continued.

“Some of them need time and a few hopefully forward enough to run this year. Sheikh Ahmed, (racing manager Mohammed Saeed Al Shehi) and I want to build a stable with more American blood, instead of just relying on horses coming from Europe."