Poker Face prevails in G2 Zabeel Mile, O’Shea celebrates 800th victory on Tuz

Meydan’s Sword of Honour race night produced a battle worthy of the name when Poker Face edged out Holloway Boy in the featured G2 Zabeel Mile on Friday.

The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained six-year-old was having his first Meydan run and was also ridden for the first time by Pat Dobbs, who timed his challenge impeccably.

Racing in mid-division for much of the race, Dobbs was able to squeeze through a small gap and produce Poker Face right on the line to deny British raider Holloway Boy by a nose.

Tuz has become one of the leading lights of UAE racing and the sprinting superstar racked up his third win in a row in the G3 Dubawi Stakes (sponsored by Binghatti Developers) – becoming just the second horse to win it twice, after Reynaldothewizard.

Ridden by Tadhg O’Shea for whom it was a remarkable 800th UAE winner, Tuz perhaps had to work a little harder to beat Colour Up than in December’s Al Garhoud Sprint, but the result was the same; but a five-length victory instead of a six-length one.

“He’s a special horse, a great horse for the barn,” said O’Shea. “It’s a great privilege to be able to steer him around for my 800th winner. I remember winning my 700th in this very same race on Switzerland.

“I had one slightly anxious moment going to the start when he saw something and slammed on his brakes but thankfully I stayed on.”

Poet Writes International Script: International success came in the very last race on the card, the 2810metre Zoho Conditions Stakes, when Epic Poet gave UK-based trainer David O’Meara a sixth Dubai winner.

The victory may have made up for Tudhope’s earlier narrow defeat on Holloway Boy as this time he was able to hold on, hitting the front 200metres out and having just enough left to hold off the fast-finishing King Of Conquest and Keffaaf.

One of the most impressive handicap winners on the card was Asaassi who showed his rivals daylight in the opening Zabeel Turf (sponsored by Daman Markets).

Ridden by Ray Dawson, the Michael Costa trainee survived both a bump at the start and racing keenly, but still had plenty of energy when leading from 400metres out.

He beat the Godolphin pair of El Cordobes and Endless Victory by two lengths and the same, taking his career stats to four from 11.

It was another good night for the consistent Ahmad Bin Harmash team, who celebrated a quick double, initiated when Rasas won the Sword Of Excellence Stakes (sponsored by Zoho), over 1200metres.

The four-year-old was having just his third start on turf under Connor Beasley and was always up with the pace, sticking his neck out for a dour length win over the closing Bombay Bazaaar and Topper Bill.

The Bin Harmash team have always been adept with juveniles and collected the second leg of their double with Golden Vekoma, who won the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (sponsored by Kentucky Derby).

The son of Vekoma paid a handsome compliment to the absent Heart Of Honour, who beat him into third last time, with a smooth win here. He hit the lead off the home bend and never looked like being caught, crossing the line two and a quarter lengths ahead of Nimble Boy.

It’s rare that a Meydan card containing turf races goes by without a Charlie Appleby winner, but he left it late this time, striking in the penultimate Jumeirah Stakes (sponsored by The Jockey Club).

The winner, however, looked to be his second string as William Buick was booked on the better fancied Hallasan.

But it was Age Of Gold and Richie Mullen who emerged on top, striking slightly wide to reel in longtime leader The Fingal Raven and holding off Hallasan by a length and a quarter.

His exciting filly Arigatou Gozaimasou could only manage eighth against the colts in the Guineas Trial, but Salem Bin Ghadayer still collected a winner when Crown Estate won the Sword Of Honour Stakes (sponsored by Daman Markets) on his UAE debut.

The appropriately-named Dubawi gelding was bred by the late Queen of England and took to the dirt beautifully here, coming with a sustained run to beat stablemate Made In Dubai by a length.