Barzalona rides two winners for Bin Ghadayer at Meydan Racecourse
Salem bin Ghadayer saddled a treble at yesterday’s Meydan Racecourse with the French jockey Mickael Barzalona guiding home two of his winners
Barzalona made all the running from the front on Pirate’s Cove to take the second race, a handicap over 1,200 metres on the dirt, and later came with a late run on Mail Shot to claim the concluding race on the seven-event card, a turf handicap over 1,600m.
The other victory for the Emirati trainer had seen Aslan, ridden by Xavier Ziani, win the sixth race, another handicap over 2,200m on dirt.
Elsewhere at the meeting, Rashed Bouresly followed up his first win of the season in Abu Dhabi last week with a double under two different jockeys.
Dane O’Neill rode Waqqad to victory in the third race over 1,400m on turf in only his second career start.
The Kuwaiti trainer was in the winner’s enclosure again 35 minutes later after the South African apprentice Liam Tarentaal steered Murrayfield to victory in Race 4, a handicap rated for horses 60-75 over 2,000m on the dirt.
Tadhg O’Shea piloted Mears to win the opening prize for his Grandstand Stables trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
O’Neill completed his own personal double aboard UAE champion trainer Doug Watson’s Ejaaby in the fifth race, a handicap over 1,200m.
The action continues today when the President’s Cup Prep for Purebred Arabians takes centre stage in the fourth race as another busy weekend in the UAE concludes with the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club’s sixrace card.
O’Shea, the leading jockey this season, resume his partnership with the Eric Lemartinel-trained Mahbooba, winner of the Group 1 Emirates Championship last year.
“The conditions are probably her optimum and, despite the fact she carries a penalty, she looks to have very strong claims,” said O’Shea of the sixyear-old mare. “Looking at the field, I would say Loraa is probably the main danger given her proven course and distance form in illustrious company.”
Loraa, trained in Al Ain by Jean de Roualle, was third in this Prep 12 months ago before going on to claim The President’s Cup last February.
The chestnut mare may also need this comeback run, and under the UAE champion jockey Richard Mullen, she certainly cannot be safely ruled out given her undoubted class.
“She is a very good mare,” Mullen said.
“She should run well but will certainly improve for the run with bigger targets down the line.”
De Roualle is double handed with Ziyadd, a newcomer with some good form in Europe, making his first local start. Jockey Xavier Ziani will be in the saddle.
Lemartinel has also runs Abu Alabyad, who will be carrying Gerald Avranche, and Shaheer, who will have Jesus Rosales in the saddle.