Mixed emotions for Selvaratnam at Jebel Ali showpiece
Veteran trainer wins Jebel Ali Sprint with Morawij but is denied a big-race sweep as Forjatt is beaten
Veteran Jebel Ali Stables handler Dhruba Selvaratnam was cruelly denied a piece of UAE racing history when age finally caught up with his stable flagbearer Forjatt in the Jebel Ali Stakes, the third and final black type race staged at the venue yesterday.
After Morawij’s battling victory in the Jebel Ali Sprint earlier in the afternoon, it was up to the nine-year-old Forjatt to seal what would have been an unprecedented clean sweep of the major races at Jebel Ali, but the oldtimer was caught out for stamina by another veteran campaigner, the Satish Seemar-trained Farrier.
Victorious in the track’s biggest race of the season, the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile four weeks ago, Forjatt appeared to wilt under the weight penalty imposed for that success, as he did not have the acceleration to match the winner.
Full credit, however, to Farrier who, like Forjatt, has been a loyal and highly respected servant to the Zabeel master, Seemar.
Stable jockey Richard Mullen, who was riding his 39th winner of the season to tie former champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea at the top of the 2016-2017 jockey’s table, believes that the son of Tapit could challenge for some of the ensuing big races.
“It has just taken us a long time to really work out what he prefers in his races; last time at Meydan, on turf, we had a low draw and he did not like being crowded,” said Mullen.
“So today I was determined to get a lead but give him plenty of space before setting sail for home a long way out as we know he stays well.
“He was second in Super Saturday’s Group 1 Jebel Hatta on turf last year and that would be an option but we could even think about the Al Maktoum Challenge R3 on the same card.”
Selvaratnam and his stable jockey Chris Hayes, however, had good reason to celebrate after Morawij announced himself a contender for one of the sprint races on Super Saturday’s card.
Thirteen went to post in the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint but the race developed into a duel between Morawij and Mushir, with the former ultimately repeating his victory of 2016 in the 1,000m contest.
Morawij also became only the third dual winner of the race, a feat previously achieved by Russian Rock, in 2012 and 2013 and by Selvaratnam with Try Prospect in 1996 and 1997.
“I was always pretty confident in the race,” said jockey Chris Hayes. “There was just one moment, about a furlong out, when I had to get serious but he then really ran on strongly.”
Former Irish-trained Kidd Malibu made a winning UAE dirt debut in the opening 1,400m maiden. Later in the afternoon, the Rashid Boureslytrained Ajwad lost his maiden tag, when making virtually all to win a 1,200m handicap under Goran Mesetovic while the Erwan Charpy-trained Prince Suhail won the American University of Sharjah Handicap under jockey Antonio Fresu.
The finale, a 1,600m handicap, was won by Simple Attack under Fernando Jara.