Ghadayer on the double with Firnas and Important Mission
DUBAI: Thursday evening’s biggest Racing At Meydan meeting of the season thus far, was highlighted by the Listed The Entisar sponsored by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, over the same 2000m dirt course and distance as the Dubai World Cup, and won by Firnas.
Setled in second by Xavier Ziani, stalking Saltarin Dubai and Richard Mullen, Firnas edged ahead about 1300m from home and kept on galloping, challenged throughout by that rival with the pair dueling all the way up the home straight. Mullen’s mount probably drew level again about 150m out, but Firnas found a bit more to pass the post in front.
Saddled by Salem bin Ghadayer, completing a big race double, for Ahmad Ghalita Almheiri, the 7-year-old Dubawi gelding has now won four times, thrice in the UAE and this was his second course and distance victory this season having won a handicap a month ago.
Bin Ghadayer said: “He is a lovely horse who has won three of his four most recent starts and has been running consistently well.”
Favourite and local debutant Pakistan Star weakened into fourth having held every chance halfway up the straight. A dual Group One winner in Hong Kong, he is now in the care of Doug Watson who said: “He seemed to be hanging right throughout which was not ideal. We will get him home and scope him to see if anything comes to light, but we will probably put the blinkers back on him next time.”
Over 1200m, the Listed Garhoud Sprint sponsored by DP World UAE region, was won in stunning fashion by Important Mission who was last of the seven runners and seemingly outpaced at halfway before flying home under Royston Ffrench in the final 300m to snatch victory from Behavioral Bias who had snatched the initiative from his stable companion Bochart entering the final 200m. The last named held on for third, but Ffrench’s mount was going clear at the line and actually won quite cosily in the end.
Saddled by Bin Ghadayer for Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum, the 6-year-old More Than Ready gelding was winning for the fith time, third locally and a second 1200m Meydan dirt victory. He had arrived in the UAE with two victories for William Haggas from just five starts.
A 1600m handicap, the Jebel Ali Port, provided a crackerjack of a finish with Gervais produced by Sandro Paiva to lead close home from stable companion One Vision who himself had only led for about 50m having passed Torno Subito who faded into fith behind Spring Jig who snatched fourth, a place behind Dirilis Ertigul. First and second are both trained by Ali Rashid Al Rayhi.
Beasley was on the right one in the finale, a 1400m condition race for juveniles, the JAFZA, probably never headed aboard Zhou Storm, the pair following up their 1200m maiden victory from a month ago, completing a double for Rayhi in the process.