Filly RB Money To Burn wins a second title from as many runs
RB Money To Burn clinched the Abu Dhabi Championship at the capital’s racecourse on Sunday to stretch her winning record this season to two from two.
Trained by Eric Lemartinel and ridden by stable jockey Pat Cosgrave, RB Money To Burn made all to finish first in the Listed prize for three-year-old Purebred Arabians over the 1,600-metre distance.
The American bred daughter of Majd Al Arab was an impressive winner in her previous start, too, trouncing stable companion Eghel De Pine by more than nine lengths at Al Ain Racecourse last month.
“She’s very enthusiastic and genuine, with a lot of speed,” Cosgrave said of the filly owned by Sheikha Alyazia bint Sultan, granddaughter of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed.
Cosgrave led RB Money To Burn quickly out the gate and settled her around four lengths in front of the chasing pack.
He then eased her midway through the race before picking up speed again in the final 400m to beat the Omani pair of Hakeemat Muscat and Hadiyah by three-quarters of a length and six lengths respectively.
Meanwhile, Ernst Oertel saddled a treble on the night, including both the Abu Dhabi Fillies and Colts Classics. He took home all three titles on behalf of Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah, his main patron.
AF Mouthirah under Tadhg O’Shea was an impressive winner of the Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic. AF Saab, under Antonio Fresu, and AF Alwajel, under O’Shea, realised a one-two finish for the South African trainer in the Colts Classic.
O’Shea guided AF Mouthirah out of Gate 15 in the 16-runner field to open up a seven-length lead.
She got tired towards the end of the run but still had more than a length to spare when crossing the finishing line from Lemartinel’s pair Al Shaheenya and Nazaa.
“She’s a lovely big filly,” O’Shea said. “She’s a raw filly mentally so she’s going to improve a lot. When I rode her the first time in a home gallop, she ran second best. She’s a slow learner, but she would have learnt a lot tonight.
“The last furlong was a long furlong and she was pulling up. I had a good look around and we did some good fractions earlier, and she had a good lead before she got tired. She took a long time for the penny to drop but I’m glad she’s delivered.”
O’Shea aboard AF Kafu completed the double and the third winner for Oertel in the fifth race.
“I’m very lucky to have a very good owner who breeds such very good horses for me to train,” said Oertel, who took his tally to 15 winners with the treble in Abu Dhabi.
Brass Ring under Fabrice Veron took the concluding handicap, the only prize for the thoroughbreds in the six-race card.