Torch lights up Meydan with win in feature race
dubai — The Purebred Arabians took centre stage at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday night and the 1400m Group 2 Bani Yas Sponsored By Friday was won in style by RB Torch who was probably never headed under Tadhg O’Shea.
Trained at Al Asayl by Eric Lemartinel for The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, RB Torch had the perfect draw, in stall one, for positive tactics and O’Shea wasted no time securing both the rail and the lead.
They committed for home leaving the home turn and were never going to be caught.
Winning the race for the first time, Lemartinel said: “He ran at Abu Dhabi over a month ago and we gave him a nice break before this race which has helped.
“Nobody else wanted to go out in front but we were more than happy to because it suits him to race like that.
“Tadhg has given him a very good ride as he let him have a breather on the home turn before committing for home.
“He has that done that very well so I imagine we will look at the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 with him in five weeks time back here at Meydan.”
O’Shea, also registering a first Bani Yas victory, added: “Everything went smoothly today and draw one was a real bonus for him. He was ponied to the start which helped him relax and on a good day, he is very talented as we saw this evening.
“I imagine the Al Asayl team will freshen him up now and the 1600m of the Maktoum Challenge will really suit him.”
The opening 1400m juvenile fillies’ maiden, the Property Weekly, was turned into a procession by debutante Rayya who stormed clear under Pat Dobbs, stable jockey to winning trainer, Doug Watson. Content to track the early leader, Follow The Feeling, Dobbs always looked confident and let the filly, a daughter of Tiz Wonderful, stride to the front just after halfway.
The race was over in a matter of strides, the pair coming home almost ten lengths clear, to the delight of Watson who said: “She is a nice filly who has always shown us plenty at home but you just never know how they will go until you get them to the races, especially here, under the lights.