Double including feature for Aseel; Oertel, Al Nabooda also enjoy Braces

Ashton Tourettes ridden by Sandro Paiva

Trainer Ibrahim Aseel put his knowledge of the surface to good use during Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club’s first meeting of the 2021/22 Emirates Racing Season Saturday, October 30, clinching a double that included victory in the feature event of the day, the HE Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Cup.

A Purebred Arabian Prestige event over 1700m, Aseel trained Ashton Tourettes (No Risk Al Maury x Neida Tourettes by Dormane), ridden by Sandro Paiva, proved he can be just as useful on a dirt track as he is on turf as he pounced to claim a half-length victory ahead of Badar Al Hajri’s Omani raider Al Mufham SB (Big Easy x Tabarek A'Rahman by Biribi), the ride of Al Moatasem Al Balushi. A further two and a quarter lengths back in third was AF Alajaj (AF Albahar x Hathrah by Makzan) for Oertel and O’Shea.

ES Lattam ridden by Sandro Paiva

Earlier, Aseel and Sandro Paiva got the card underway with victory in the 1000m maiden for UAE Bred horses with ES Lattam (Nieshan x Bint Amer by Amer), who raced home with a length and a quarter to spare from Munawir Baynounah (Majd Al Arab x RB Frynch Broad by Madjani) trained by Mohamed Daggash with Pat Dobbs up.

Kasaied ridden by Richard Mullen

Abdallah Al Hammadi and Richard Mullen opened their accounts for the season in the 2000m maiden that followed with Kasaied (Munjiz x Kasieba by Tidjani), who stole victory in the final strides from the UAE Champion Jockey Tadhg O’Shea ridden AF Mukhrej (AF Al Buraq x Warda Al Maury by Kudor) trained by Ernst Oertel for UAE Champion Owner Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda. Kasaied won by a short head, but O’Shea, Oertel and Al Nabooda weren’t to be left behind and won the 1700m handicap for UAE bred horses that followed.

AF Nashrah ridden by Tadhg O'Shea

AF Nashrah (AF Maqam Alezz x Dahab Al Reef by Saklawi Jadrane) provided Oertel and Al Nabooda with their season opening win, O’Shea bringing home the 5yo AF Maqam Alezz mare three lengths clear of the Hamza Al Hamida trained and Saif Al Balushi driven Nazaa (Abu Alemarat x Elisa Du Paon by Tidjani).

AF Motaghatres ridden by Tadhg O'Shea

O’Shea found himself on the wrong one a race later as AF Motaghatres (AF Aa Buraq x Fattakah by Makzan), under Antonio Fresu, won Oertel and Al Nabooda a second on the afternoon as he comfortably nailed the 1700m handicap for 4yos and older horses by a length from Al Hammadi’s Maaly Al Reef (Bibi De Carrere x Matheela by Tibet), the ride of Sam Hitchcott.

Rougher ridden by Patrick Dobbs

The final race on the card was a 1700m contest reserved for Thoroughbreds and witnessed UAE Champion Trainer Doug Watson claim a fifth winner this season with EERC’s Rougher (Lookin At Lucky x Hurricane Jackie by Stormy Atlantic), who won in the hands of Dobbs. On Friday, Watson had won four of the seven races on the season-opening card at Jebel Ali Racecourse.

Source: Duane Fonseca/Al Adiyat Magazine.