Balad Al Reef dazzles in Al Ain Marathon

Racing at Al Ain Racecourse on Friday was highlighted by the second and middle round of the Al Ain Marathon Series, a 3200m handicap won in dramatic fashion by Balad Al Reef. Sporting the colours of Al Ajban Stables and saddled by Abdallah Al Hammadi, he appeared to hold every chance entering the straight under Fernando Jara before drifting across the track to the nearside rail.

His chance appeared to have been forfeited with Sheikh Down, Aslaan and Badira De Monlau seemingly fighting out a finish in the middle of the track. However, once on the rail Jara’s mount responded gallantly to run on and snatch the initiative in the final 200m and, ultimately, win quite easily.

“I did not want to fight him so let him drift left,” said Jara. “Once on the rail he really ran on strongly and won nicely in the end.

“It was a strong race so that was a good performance. He stayed the trip very well and should get further.”

Force to reckon with

Ameer Al Sraya showed that at 11 he can still be a force to reckon with and the Khalid Abdul Rahman Al Muhairi-owned horse did just that on Friday in Al Ain when winning the HH Shaikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup for Private Owners Only race.

The Wathba Stud Farm Cup was the opening 1400m handicap and the Helal Al Alawi-trained Ameer Al Sraya, who was always travelling strongly under UAE Champion Jockey Tadhg O’Shea, won from stablemate Naiem under Patrick Cosgrave while in third place was Al Muwall’Aa under Goran Mesetovic.

It was the 11-year-old Ameer Al Sraya’s 7th win in 66 starts spread over nine years of competitive racing!

“I was fourth on him at Sharjah in November when I thought we were going to win so it is nice to land this one on him,” said O’Shea, who went on to complete a double later in the meeting.

“I think the key is in leaving his challenge as late as possible, which I was able to do today,” he said.