Emirates Championship highlights penultimate Abu Dhabi meeting
abu dhabi — Sunday’s final meeting of the campaign at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club and penultimate fixture of the UAE season features the Group 1 Emirates Championship and the biggest Thoroughbred race staged in the capital, the Group 3 Abu Dhabi Championship.
Both are over 2,200m with nine declared for the Dh1million Emirates Championship, including no less than five to be saddled by Eric Lemartinel who trains for their owner, The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, at the Al Asayl Stables.
Tadhg O’Shea has chosen to ride Mahbooba with stable companion, and last year’s winner, Abhaar the mount of Gerald Avranche and
She messed around in the stalls the last twice and subsequently missed the break Tadhg O’Shea
Richard Mullen aboard Abu Alabyad, third 12 months ago when the pick of O’Shea.
His choice this year, Mahbooba, won both her first two starts this season, including defeating Abu Alabyad in the prep for the HH The President Cup, but disappointed in the big race (won by Abu Alabyad in 2016) itself and subsequently in the Al Maktoum Challenge R3 at Meydan.
That was just her second dirt outing and, like in HH The President Cup, she was slowly away, seriously compromising her chances in the process. “The start is going to be key on Sunday,” said O’Shea. “For some reason she has messed around in the stalls the last twice and subsequently missed the break which, when competing at this level, takes a lot to overcome.”
It is hard to disagree with that sentiment and, such is the strength of the Al Asayl quintet, it would be no surprise were they to fill at least the first three finishing berths.
No horse has won the Group 3 Abu Dhabi Championship twice but the 2015 victor, Dormello, should make a bold bid to rectify that.
Trained by Dhruba Selvaratnam for his main patron, Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dormello landed this in 2015 and was fourth 12 months ago.
However, he does need to bounce back after four lacklustre Meydan efforts this season but his trainer is finishing the season in good form.
Trained by Mike de Kock, who won this race in 2009 with Mr Brock, Sanshaawes actually chased home Dormello in the 2015 renewal, his only previous visit to the capital.
The mount of Bernard Fayd’Herbe, he won a 2,000m turf handicap at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, when Dormello was well beaten, in February and was a close fourth in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday.