Trainer Bin Ghadayer’s good show continues
abu dhabi — As illustrated through his Thursday evening Dubai World Cup Carnival 1-2 at Meydan, trainer Salem Bin Ghadayer has his team in fine form and the wins kept coming at Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Bin Ghadayer landed the only Thoroughbred race on Abu Dhabi’s card, a 2400m handicap on Sunday evening.
Jockey Royston Ffrench, denied at Meydan on Thursday when his mount, Frankyfourfingers was defeated by stablemate Heavy Metal was never too far off the pace on Hunters Creek.
Victorious over 2400m at Abu Dhabi in 2015 and then winless in seven subsequent outings, Ffrench’s mount, which, like Heavy Metal and Frankyfourfingers is owned by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, bounced back to winning ways and in good style.
“I was injured in a stalls incident and missed almost two months so it is great to be back in action,” said Ffrench.
Owner the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has, with his Al Asaylbased trainer Eric Lemartinel, been enjoying a prolific spell and they combined with RB Rich Surprise who led close home to land a 2200m handicap under
I was injured in a stalls incident and missed almost two months so it is great to be back in action Ffrench, jockey
Tadhg O’Shea. Champion Jockey, O’Shea, was also victorious aboard MH Tawag in a 1600m handicap, trained by Elise Jeanne who celebrated a Group One victory with Faucon Du Loup in the Al Maktoum Challenge R2 on Thursday.
Settled in behind the leaders, MH Tawag was asked to close on the home turn and, once sent to the front halfway up the straight, never looked likely to be caught.
The opening 1400m maiden was won by Al Tiryaq, trained by Abdallah Al Hammadi and never far off the pace under Sam Hitchcott, riding him for the first time.
Having his third career start, but first on turf after two sprint runs on dirt at Sharjah, he stayed on strongly here to land the spoils in a driving finish.
The finale, a second and better quality 1600m handicap, produced a change of luck for trainer Erwan Charpy who, after two seconds earlier on the card, finally registered a winner with Cheik Roque landing the spoils under Antonio Fresu.