Owner Al Nabooda lands a treble
abu dhabi — Champion owner, Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda and his main trainer, Ernst Oertel, not only combined to win both the first two races at Abu Dhabi on Sunday evening, but also supplied the second on each occasion.
Their success included victory in the 1,400m handicap with AF Maher, ridden by Silvestre de Sousa,
Only eight went to post in the feature and De Sousa, who did not ride at Sharjah on Saturday due to illness was at his tactical best, stalking the leaders, his stable companion AF Al Jahed, and hat trick seeking Extra Hope. That pair were at loggerheads at the top of the straight, while De Sousa edged closer before making a challenge inside the final 200m, hitting the front 100m out and forging clear of his stablemate who plugged on for second under Antonio Fresu.
For AF Maher it was a third consecutive and fourth career success, having started the hat trick sequence in Abu Dhabi over 1,600m under Connor Beasley, before scoring over 1,400m on the dirt at Al Ain when also partnered by De Dousa.
Thirty minutes earlier, owner and trainer had celebrated a 1-2 in the opening 1,400m maiden with Fresu and AF Motaghatres running on too strongly for AF Al Bairaq and De Sousa.
Both the Oertel runners had tracked the early pace, set by Xavier Ziani aboard Safwan Al Megirat but, when he came under pressure on the home turn, Fresu made a decisive bid for the front quickening clear in a race deciding manoeuvre. Soon a couple of lengths clear, they were always holding the late challenge of their stable companion, AF Motaghatres losing his maiden tag at the fourth attempt, having finished second on each of his previous three outings.
In her fourth season with a licence, Saleha Ahmed Al Ghurair saddled her first ever winner with her 25th runner, when La Yfootkum, whom she also owns, landed the 1,600m maiden.
Ridden by apprentice Adam McLean and having his 14th career start, he appeared a most unlikely winner entering the home turn, when he was amongst the backmarkers of the 14 runners. However, in the straight, he flew down the outside, hitting the front well inside the final 100m.