Need To Know bounces back in style at Meydan
dubai — The admirable Need To Know put in a workmanlike performance to claim the Gulf News Conditions race at Meydan Racecourse late on Thursday, a race featuring the 2016 UAE Oaks and Guineas heroine, Polar River who could only finish fourth.
The 2016 UAE Derby runner up, Polar River, giving weight to her older male rivals, had started hot favourite but was unable to reach the front.
Instead the battle for the line played out between the Ali Rashid Al Rayhi-trained Need To Know, runner up Heavy Metal, prepared by Salem bin Ghadayer, and Ennobled Friend trained by Ahmad
He (Need To Know) has always been a model of consistency and really appreciated the fast pace early on tonight Tadhg O’Shea
bin Harmash who was third.
Need To Know was second in the equivalent race last year but he made no mistake this time, showing the benefit of an outing at Abu Dhabi just last Sunday.
Sixth on that occasion on the Abu Dhabi turf, he bounced back to winning ways here under a determined drive by UAE Champion Jockey, Tadhg O’Shea. Settled in midfield, Need To Know was asked to chase the leaders on the home turn. He only hit front 100m from the line yet ultimately posted a relatively comfortable success.
“This is a really tough horse,” said O’Shea. “Just look at his form; he has been to Jebel Ali, China, Korea, Abu Dhabi and back to Meydan in his last five starts.
“He has always been a model of consistency and really appreciated the fast pace early on tonight.”
The Al Rayhi-O’Shea combination found themselves back in the winner’s enclosure following the last race of the evening with Trinity Force who claimed the 2000m gulfnews.com Handicap. Of Polar River fortunes, trainer Doug Watson was philosophical commenting that she would come on for this, her first run of the season. Earlier the meeting had been dominated by a Satish Seemar treble.
The opening Xpress Maiden for juveniles over 1400m in which six went to post was claimed by stable jockey, Richard Mullen on Mufeed, who was making a winning racecourse debut for owner Sheikh Mohd bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.
“He has a big, strong, powerful, raw horse who is very much on a learning curve but has the ability to win on debut here,” said Mullen.