UAE’s top jockey O’Shea on a roll

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s Al Asayl Stables were in total dominance at the Abu Dhabi Race course on Sunday.

Trainer Eric Lemartinel and ace jockey Tadhg O’Shea combined to win half of the six races. O’Shea finished the evening with four winners after clinching victory in the thoroughbreds for his Grandstand Stables of Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

With these strong results, O’Shea, the four-time UAE champion jockey, has swelled his win tally to 27 winners, overtaking Richard Mullen at the top of the championship leaderboard by one.

“It’s a nice feeling indeed to ride four winners on a six-race card,” said the Irishman, who had three winners in the first four races.

“My job is also to ride winners and that’s what I’m doing. And I’m fortunate for the opportunity to ride some good horses, particularly the Purebred Arabians from Eric, as my stables don’t have many of them,” added O’Shea, who also won the featured Dh110,000 prize money Al Shahamah 2200m handicap on Lemartinel-trained RB Dixie Burning. Babel D’Aillas ridden by Fernando Jara was second, one length behind while Af Al Hazer rode Antonio Fresu to third.

O’Shea placed RB Dixie Burning nicely in the pack and, despite having very little room in the straight, she burst into the front towards the end. This was the sevenyear-old mare’s fourth win in a row for the season and now has a career record of seven from nine starts. “The pace was good enough and I had told Tadhag to wait. I was not afraid but I knew well the mare may have a good finish. Little far with 700km to go but she came in very easy,” said a jubilant Lemartinel.