Sixth UAE Trainer’s Championship title to spur Seemar for next season

Amir Naqvi, Sports Editor

Seemar, who is the longest serving trainer in the UAE, was on top of the trainers’ list with 45 winners, nine ahead of Doug Watson, when the season was cancelled

Following the precautionary measures being taken by the UAE Government against the spread of coronavirus, the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) brought the curtains down on the season but the overall performances have left the leading trainers and jockeys plenty to cheer about.

Six race meetings scheduled to be held post Dubai World Cup at Meydan, Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain were cancelled on Monday. The organisers on Sunday called off the 25th edition of the Dubai World Cup.

After ERA’s decision to end the season, the three championships for Top Trainer, Jockey and Owner were confirmed.

Tadhg O’Shea sealed a record eighth UAE jockey’s title, while Satish Seemar won the Top Trainer’s Championship crown for the sixth time.

Seemar, who is the longest serving trainer in the UAE, was on top of the trainers’ list with 45 winners, nine ahead of Doug Watson, when the season was cancelled.

The Zabeel Stables trainer Seemar said winning his sixth trainer’s title after 13 years will serve as a morale-booster for his stable staff and the new owners who brought their horses to his stables.
“It has been a bit of an up and down for me since I last won the trainer’s title,” said Seemar.

“For me the objective was to win some quality races rather than the numbers. However, having said that, it’s very nice to win the championship that certainly lifts the morale of the stable staff.

“I’m so proud to say I have one of the best teams. They are very hard-working and this championship is for them as well, and it feels great to have this title every now and then,” added Seemar, who in 1993 made history after becoming the first UAE-based trainer to win a race in Europe – when Dayflower won the Middleton Stakes at York in the UK.

Talking about cancellation of the Dubai World Cup, Seemar said: “It was a great decision to cancel the meeting, as the safety of everyone involved is the top priority.

“I had five entries across three races in the Dubai World Cup meeting and they had realistic chances. But we’ll have to do away with it for the sake of mankind.”

Seemar rated Wafy, who campaigned in the silks of UAE Minister of Finance and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum when trained by Charles Hills in the UK, as the top runner for the season.

The five-year-old Dubawi gelding won both his local starts, including the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal on Super Saturday in the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

“Wafy was very exciting,” Seemar said of Emirati owner Nasir Askar’s new acquisition.

“Both his runs were impressive. We couldn’t test him in a big race (Dubai Golden Shaheen), unfortunately. These kind of horses are very exciting when they run and improve.”

$10.8 million was the prize money won by the horses trained by Seemar at the Zabeel Stables earned during the season.

The Zabeel Stables had 125 horses in training and will have a similar number for the next season.

“We will try to keep the similar numbers so I can manage,” he said. “It is quite a big number to have compared to the others. Hopefully we’ll keep the better ones with some of the older horses set to move out.”