Back to form Ammar lands Al Ain feature, Kahaylah makes winning debut

A winner on his debut in the UAE back in December, the YAS Racing-owned Ammar recaptured his best form to complete a hard-earned victory in Al Ain’s feature 1400m 0-90 rated handicap.

Partnered by Jules Mobian, the four-year-old was committed for home early in the straight and, from that point, was not for catching as he fended off AF Yabarhin (Qais Al Busaidi/Maitha Al Suwaidi) to score by a half-length, having shown good speed to overcome a wide berth in 15.

The colt has always been kept in high regard by the reputable yard and was pitched against the best of his generation in races earlier this season so made the most of this slightly easier assignment.

WELL-BRED KAHAYLAH MAKES INSTANT IMPACT: Trainer Dennis O’Brien is enjoying a fine season and has gained a reputation for having his newcomers well conditioned. The well-bred Kahaylah vindicated that view by winning on debut under Richard Mullen in the 1600m maiden for fillies and mares.

The Asayl-bred four-year-old filly travelled strongly throughout and managed to hold off another rally from AF Thwarty and Tadgh O’Shea after idling in front.

The pair distancing away from United Spirit (Malune/Al Hammadi) who finished well adrift in third.

Mullen doubled up on the day aboard the Qaiss Aboud-trained JAP Malawih who recorded a facile seven-length success in the 1400m 0-75 rated handicap. Leading all of the way, a style of running which mirrored most of the winners on the programme, the nine-year-old went from strength-to-strength as the race entered its concluding stages winning for the first time since 2019 when with Irfan Ellahi in a former life.

AL MARAR ON THE SCORESHEET AGAIN: Fresh from Group 1 success in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 at Emirates Super Saturday, trainer Hamad Al Marar wasted no time getting into the winner’s enclosure at Al Ain with Nassif taking the opening 2000m maiden contest. Graduating at the fourth time of asking, the Tunisian-bred four-year-old was forced to go the extra mile having drawn in 15 but he overcame both that and a late rally from trainer Eric Lemartinel’s Waheed to prevail by a nose in a photo finish, also denying apprentice Roxane Liegeois a first success in the Emirates. Will Power (Abdallah Al Hammadi), the mount of Richard Mullen, finished third.

O’SHEA INCHES AHEAD IN TITLE BATTLE: Ernst Oertel’s yard may have been struggling for winners in the first half of the season, but they have left that initial rustiness well and truly behind themselves with eleven winners already since the turn of February, the latest coming from the honest and consistent AF Alhazem who finally graduated at the twelfth time of asking in the second race of the evening, a 0-75 rated handicap.

Ridden by Tadgh O’Shea, the five-year-old led all of the 1800m to score by a comfortable length-and-three-quarters from the Zammam (Gabrielle Malune/Jaber Bittar) and the industrious AF Al Moreeb (Bernardo Pinheiro/Qaiss Aboud) for whom it was the third bronze finish in as many weeks at this course. With this, O’Shea strengthened his lead at the head of the Champion Jockey’s table to two after coming into the fixture with a slender lead of one.

CRESCENT BURNS HIS RIVALS IN CLOSING SPRINT: The closing 1000m sprint for 0-80 rated horses went the way of the Helal Alalawi-trained AA Burning Crescent, partnered by Abdul Aziz Al Balushi. The four-year-old broke his maiden at this venue over 1400m and the drop to 1000m was met with open arms as the National Stables’ owned gelding highlighted good speed and grit in fighting of Sa’ari (Pinheiro/Al Jahoori) on his right wing and HA Sahaba (Sam Hitchcott/Al Marar) on his left wing.

Apprentice Allia Tiar recorded his third victory of the campaign guiding Easy Lap to a hard-fought success in the 1600m local bred maiden. The Khalifa Al Neyadi trained four-year-old finished second on her last start which came at Meydan. Ghiath MKA (Charlie Bennett/Ahmad Salem Al Shamsi) went down a fighting second with HK Khanjar (Abdul Aziz Al Balushi/Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi) a fast-finishing third.