Somoud wins Jewel Crown prep in style under Mullen

Jean de Roualle declared Somoud an “absolute champion” after his resounding win in the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep for Purebred Arabians in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

Richard Mullen led the sixyear-old son of Munjiz with a strong run from the middle of the pack as they approached the final bend before staying on strongly on the home stretch to hold off AF Al Bairaq under Tadhg O’Shea by two and-a-quarter lengths.

Harrab, with Connor Beasley in the saddle, was a further two and-a-quarter lengths in third and RB Frynchh Dude, who set the early pace, finished more than five lengths behind him in fourth.

“He is an absolute champion and a dream horse to train,” De Roualle said of Somoud.

“Obviously the Jewel Crown on December 4 is his target. I wish he stays healthy from now on because tomorrow is another day.”

Somoud rounded off last season with a hat-trick, including the Group 1 Emirates Championship, when trained by Ahmed Al Mehairbi. “He has progressed from last season and is an easy horse to train,” De Roualle said.

“He arrived at our stables in March and has continued to develop as he did last season under Ahmed. A lot of credit should go to him for the remarkable progress. This was only a prep race but he’s run well and won well. So I would like to think he’s the best of the local challenge going into the Jewel Crown.”

Mullen completed a double by taking the concluding handicap for thoroughbreds on Satish Seemar’s Irish Freedom in a three- way photo finish, edging out Bernardo Pinheiro on Sugar Boy and O’Shea atop Welford.