RB to try and Burn off opposition on National Day

dubai — Sunday’s National Day fixture at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club features both the Group 3 Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup and the Listed National Day Cup, the only Thoroughbred race on the card.

Both races are over 1600m and the former sees RB Burn return to action, three weeks after he finished ‘first past the post’ in the world’s richest Purebred Arabian contest, the Group 1 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown, over the same course and distance.

Victorious in the same race 12 months earlier, sadly for connections he was demoted and placed second this year.

Trained by Eric Lemartinel for Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, he is penalised on Sunday but should still be a major player under Gerald Avranche who said: “He is a very good horse who has a touch of class and relishes Sunday’s conditions.

“Hopefully he is the one the others have to beat.”

Lemartinel, the master of Al Asayl Stables, also saddles Hamza, the mount of Jesus Rosales, and Darius Du Paon, the choice of Tadhg O’Shea, both owned by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

O’Shea said: “Al Asayl look to have a strong hand with RB Burn looking the most likely winner but all three are working nicely.”

Hamza was second in this last year when chasing home Sharaf Al Reef, with Fernando Jara riding for Abdallah Al Hammadi and they are back to defend their crown.

Nahee, to be saddled by Jean de Roualle for Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Erwan Charpy-trained Cheik Roque and Bon Baiser De Faust can all run well but RB Burn should be hard to beat. Bon Baiser De Faust is trained by Champion Trainer Doug Watson, whose team are in great form, for HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the pair combine with two of the 16 runners in the Thoroughbred’s Listed National Day Cup.