ES Ajeeb defends Group 2 Bani Yas title

Racing at Meydan on Thursday kicked off with the first Purebred Arabian contest at the course this season, the 1400m Group 2 Bani Yas presented by Longines Hydroconquest. As it was last year, it was won in smart style by Sheikh Abdulla Bin Majed Al Qassem’s Ibrahim Aseeli-trained ES Ajeeb, who was never headed under regular pilot Sam Hitchcott.

Well away, the pair were soon able to get across to the rail and clear at halfway never looked likely to be caught although, understandably, tiring in the final 150m.

Aatebat Al Khalediah closed determinedly to come up just short, while slow-starting Mawahib, second 12 months ago by a nose in this race, ran on impressively for third. The 5-year-old homebred has now won eight of his 12 starts, seven times on dirt and became the third dual winner of the contest. His sire, Big Easy, also won in 2004.

“He has to be my favourite Purebred Arabian and we knew he had improved from his return at Abu Dhabi,” Hitchcott said.

“His natural speed is main attribute, but as gets older and matures, we may try him over 1600m but we would probably have to ride him more patiently.”

The featured Thoroughbred contest, the Longines Master Collection over 1600m, was dominated by trainer Satish Seemar, who finished one-two with Tadhg O’Shea-ridden George Villiers chasing down Bochart and apprentice Sean Kirrane on the wire. Nearer last than first leaving the back straight, the winner, who finished plastered in kickback, started to make progress between horses before digging deeply for his jockey to lead where it mattered.

The 4-year-old son of Dubawi has now won four times, twice at Meydan for owner Mohd Khalifa Al Basti after having raced in Britain for John Gosden. The effort earned the half-brother to Grade 1 winner Laughing and Hong Long legend Viva Pataca a Dubai World Cup Carnival-worthy 92 rating.  

“We always knew this horse had a lot of ability and he was a willing partner tonight,” O’Shea said. “The team always hoped he was a Carnival horse and this suggests he can be. I had a lovely low weight, but turning for home I thought Bochart had the race, but my fellow, who does not really like the kickback, has really responded well.”

Seemar then supplied another one-two finish in the Longines DolceVita, a 1200m handicap where Connor Beasley and filly Lady Parma bulled their way through the boys to take command within the 200m and held off yard-mate Way of Wisdom and jockey Richard Mullen.

A 3-year-old Exchange Rate filly, the winner is owned by the Parmar Family and had shed her maiden tag on her previous and sixth career start over 1200m at Jebel Ali a few weeks prior. Her Meydan performances last season included a third in the UAE 1000 Guineas (Listed). With Way of Wisdom’s second, Seemar had saddled the runner-up in the first five Thoroughbred races.

The finale, a 1400m handicap, the Longines La Grande Classique, was won in workmanlike style by Mohd Khalifa Al Basti’s Zaajer, who held off a game and persistent Mayaadeen. Ridden by Fernando Jara, the victory gave trainer Al Rayhi his second of the night—an evening in which he also had a second in the G2 Bani Yas.