Jayide Al Boraq impresses again with Meydan feature win

DUBAI: Racing at Meydan on Thursday evening was officially highlighted by the only Purebred Arabian contest on the card, the 1400m Group 2 Bani Yas, won by the improving and consistent Jayide Al Boraq.

Confidently ridden by Bernardo Pinheiro, in the predominantly yellow silks of Al Rahmani Racing, the 6-year-old entire was winning for the seventh time on just his ninth start and in by far the strongest contest he had tackled.

One of his two defeats was actually over 1400m, but that was his sole turf outing, when second at Abu Dhabi in a handicap having landed his previous start, a handicap at Al Ain, over 1400m.

This was his third atempt at the trip and, as well as consistent, he has to be considered versatile as he is now victorious over 1000m, 1400m and 1600m, the distance over which he made a winning debut, at Al Ain, in March 2019. He also won at the same track on his reappearance, over 1000m, exactly three weeks ago, but that was in handicap company and, as alluded to, this was a big step up in class.

Success looked unlikely at halfway when RB Money To Burn was going clear at the front whereas Pinheiro was atempting to find racing room, appearing trapped on the rail in about sixth, albeit travelling well. Pulled wide entering the straight, Jayide Al Boraq made relentless progress and, with RB Money To Burn, weakening in the final 150m, was able to sweep past that rival about 50m out to score going away at the line.

It was a biggest UAE winner for all the connections and Pinheiro said: “I was prety confident coming here this evening because he is a lazy horse who only ever really does enough, so I thought there was improvement there.

Five juvenile fillies lined up for a 1200m maiden and, having missed a fortnight through injury, Pat Dobbs wasted no time geting back in the winner’s enclosure, scoring on his first mount back, Super Chianti. Slower departing the stalls than the remaining quartet, Dobbs was content to setle the Super Saver filly, homebred by Charles Fipke, in rear before asking her to close leaving the home turn, soon moving from fith to second before passing stable companion Heshmah entering the final 250m.

The race appeared over before Dobbs’ mount belied her inexperience, idling once in front and allowing Nayefah, also by Super Saver, to close fast, but never really looking like geting there.

Watson completed a double, combining this time with Dane O’neill, riding for his main employer, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE’S Minister of Finance, to win a 1400m handicap, aboard the owner’s Mayaadeen.