Double delight for O’Shea, Hakeem wins thrilling feature in Abu Dhabi

The best was very much saved to last at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday, officially highlighted by the only Thoroughbred race and final race on the card, a 1400m handicap, victory secured in a driving finish by Hakeem, denying the desperate late lunge of Prompting.

Sporting the world famous blue and white silks of his main employer, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finanace, and for trainer Ali Rashid Al Rayhi, Jim Crowley settled the winner about halfway among the capacity field of 16 who, on the whole, raced in a compact field. They made ground to challenge early in the straight before grabbing the initiative with about 150m still to run.

Connections may have hoped for a smooth success, but Adrie de Vries and Prompting started to gather momentum, closing all the time, but the line appeared in time for Crowley’s mount, the duo still a neck ahead as they flashed past the winning post.

Homebred, the 7-year-old gelded son of Exceed And Excel was scoring for the fifth time and second locally, his previous UAE victory posted over 1600m on the Meydan turf in February last year.

Crowley said: “These Abu Dhabi handicaps are not easy to win as they are always very competitive with such big fields, most of whom hold some kind of chance coming into the race.

“We had the inside draw which has worked out well because I was able get a nice position and he responded well when I asked. I was happy to commit because he stays further and I think we were always holding on.

“I have now won on this horse three times, twice locally and once in Britain, at Southwell on the all-weather, when he was trained by William Haggas.”

The opening 1600m handicap for fillies and mares, due to be contested by a capacity field of 14 before a late withdrawal, was won in quite taking fashion by turf debutante Nadhra, previously a maiden after three attempts on dirt at Al Ain. Homebred, the 4-year-old filly was held up towards the rear by Fabrice Veron before making stealthy progress as the field descended on the home turn. Pulled slightly wide leaving that bend, Veron’s mount picked up nicely to hit the front inside the final 100m and win going away for Eric Lemartinel and HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Veron said: “I was actually a little bit disappointed by her last time at Al Ain, but she is a filly I have always liked and has not let me down here.

The maximum allowed field of 14 then contested a 1400m maiden but very few were ever able to get competitive with the first two home probably occupying those positions from the outset.

However, it was AF Dars and Tadhg O’Shea who landed the prize for Khalid Khalif Al Nabooda and Ernst Oertel, the UAE Champion Jockey having stalked Basima Al Wathba throughout the majority of the race before hitting the front without 175m remaining. The race was soon over, the homebred 4-year-old colt building on his debut, over 1000m here at Abu Dhabi, when fifth seven weeks ago.

O’Shea said: “It is competitive racing this evening, but I did feel this was one of my better chances even from the worst of the draw out in 14. Ernst and his team have produced him in great shape, as they always do, and he jumped well so clearly had learned a lot.

For horses foaled in the UAE, a 1400m handicap went to the same connections, again defeating 13 rivals in a full field, with O’Shea finding a very willing partner in the form of AF Musannef, doubling his career tally while winning on turf for the first time at the seventh attempt.

Without a win until just over three weeks ago when he landed a 1600m Al Ain maiden, he was then a gritty second over 1700m at Sharjah in a handicap, perhaps finding the trip a tad too far. Challenged throughout the straight, and probably headed, by SS Jalmod, O’Shea was able to drive his mount back to the head of affairs where it mattered.

Owner and trainer promptly completed a treble with O’Shea having to settle for a never dangerous third on this occasion aboard AF Mohanak, in a 1200m handicap also restricted to those foaled locally.

It was to prove a landmark occasion for Swedish jockey Malin Homberg who was able to open her UAE account, after 25 previous attempts, aboard AF Taghzel, the pair probably never headed after a fast start.

Homberg said: “I am so pleased to ride a winner for these connections who have given me so much help over the season and I have to thank Tadhg for helping me get the opportunity with the Oertel team.”