August 1, 2013, ARO in association with HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival announces the August 4, Wathba Stud Farm Cup Premier Handicap Stakes of 10F

For Purebred Arabians, 3 yrs old & upwards, rated 0-90 ONE MILE, TWO FURLONGS or thereabouts.

Entries:

1 ABHAR Mr J Smart 3 10-0 Mr S A Walker 90

(2) HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani

2 AZWA Mrs G M Duffield 5 9-13 Dane O’Neill 89

(10) H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin R Al Maktoum

3  ESSALDA (FR) Mrs G M Duffield 5 9-11 Fergus Sweeney 87

(4) H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin R Al Maktoum

4  TOUTATIX (FR) Miss G Ward 4 9-10 Ted Durcan 86

(5) The Practical Dreamers Partnership

5  MUNYA FARAH Mrs G M Duffield 5 9-9 James Doyle 85

(1) M. J. De Ruiter-Floor

6  ALTESSE KOSSACK (NL) Mr P J Hammersley 7 9-7 Mr S Harrison 83

(11) Mr R Gould

7  AMBROSE Mr W M Smith 9 9-2 Thomas Garner 78

(9) Ms J Haddock

8 LB ARMANII Mr P J Hammersley 4 9-2 Mr P Collington 78

(6) Mr Rudy Weller

9 WHISPER Mr A S Newey 10 8-3 Frankie McDonald 65

(8) The Almost All Partnership

10 KAMIKAZE Mr A S Newey 5 8-0 Mr S T Bradbury 62

(7) Mr A S Newey

11 LAMY (IQ) Mr M P Cooper 9 8-0 Shelley Birkett 50

(3) Mr M P Cooper

Race Card:[gview file=”https://horsereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Arabian-Racecard-Newbury-4-August.pdf” save=”1″]

Betting Forecast:

7-2 FAV ABHAR, 4-1 Azwa, 5-1 Munya Farah, 11-2 Toutatix (FR), 13-2 Essalda (FR), 7-1 Altesse Kossack (NL), 9-1 Whisper, 12-1 Lamy (IQ), 16-1 Ambrose, Kamikaze, 20-1 LB Armanii

Spotlight:

ABHAR
Well-bred 3yo colt by a top sire. Looked well above average when defeating Munya Farah by 4l in a 2 runner Maiden over 9f at Hereford last month (8lbs worse off with the 2nd) on his debut. Leading chance providing he can overcome his inexperience.  ARO Record: R1 W1 P0. (OR 90).

AZWA
Finished 2nd to stable-companion Lidjani de Palmas beaten a short head over 9f at Wolverhampton last season where her inexperience cost her the race but went one better when landing a Maiden over the same track beating Nasemah over 7f (level weights) by half a length. Beaten in 2 Premier Handicaps afterwards but made a winning reappearance when defeating Hidalgo over 7f at Hereford in June in a 0-105 Handicap (raised 5lbs). More on her plate here but clearly on the upgrade and must be respected. ARO Record: R5 W2 P1. (OR 89).

ESSALDA (FR)
Placed twice last season before winning a 1m Maiden at Uttoxeter in August beating stable companion Udjidora de Bozouls a nose. Unplaced in a Handicap on Dubai day but was not disgraced. Close 2nd to Syrah Gris at Hereford last month on her reappearance (finished strongly). Chance of making the frame but will need to improve to land the spoils.  ARO Record: R5 W1 P3. (OR 87).

TOUTATIX (FR)
French bred colt by a Belgian sire. Won a 3 runner Maiden at Taunton in May on his debut upsetting the odds on Akmal. Followed up by beating Shadiya a shade cleverly in a 1m 0-80 Handicap at Taunton in June (raised 9lbs). This will take more winning but undefeated and progressing nicely. Obvious contender. ARO Record: R2 W2 P0 (OR 86).

MUNYA FARAH
Dutch bred filly. Had her only run last year when running promisingly to finish 3rd to 2 high class rivals in Theeba and Al Hibaab with 2 subsequent winners behind her. Finished 4th in a Challenge race over 9f in Holland in June won by Paramour. Odds on favourite when last of 2 in a Maiden beaten 4l by Abhar at Hereford in July but probably tackling a well above average recruit there and is 8lbs better off. Has to be respected on her Handicap debut. ARO Record: R2 W0 P2. (OR 85).

ALTESSE KOSSACK (NL)
A dual winner last season and in great heart this season winning 3 of her 4 starts. Dead-heated in a 0-65 Handicap over 10f at Taunton with Whisper before winning a Ladies race at Newbury under a 6lbs penalty (both starts in May). Good 5l 4th to Man of Dreams under top weight in another Premier Handicap at Newbury in June before winning a 0-75 Handicap impressively by 10l under top weight at Wolverhampton 2 weeks ago. Raised a further 8lbs but a course winner and running so well her claims cannot be ignored.   ARO Record: R29 W7 P10. (OR 83).

AMBROSE
Useful handicapper who won 2 races in 2011. Ran 6 times last season putting up probably his best effort when 4th to Verdora in a Premier Handicap over this course and distance. Seasonal debut and looks vulnerable to some of the younger contenders. ARO Record: R22 W2 P14. (OR 78).

LB ARMANII
Made a highly encouraging debut when impressively winning a 9f Maiden race at Hereford in June beating Zayin Shamern by 5l. Disappointed when made odds-on to follow up in 0-80 Handicap won by Toutatix at Hereford later the same month finishing last of 5. Will need to bounce back from that effort and this race will be no easy task. ARO Record: R2 W1 P0. (OR 78).

WHISPER
Useful handicapper. Dead-heated with Altesse Kossack in a 0-65 10f Handicap at Taunton in May on her seasonal debut and was 5th behind Man of Dreams in a Premier Handicap at Newbury in June. Well beaten 5th behind Kiraa at Hereford and was runner-up to Altesse Kossack beaten 10l 2 weeks ago at Wolverhampton (8lbs better off). Acts on any ground and effective from 6f to 12f. ARO Record: R40 W6 P17. (OR 65).

KAMIKAZE
British bred colt by a decent sire. Ran decently when 5th to Essalda in a Maiden at Uttoxeter on his debut but never landed a blow when unplaced in a hotter maiden at Salisbury afterwards (only 2 runs last season). Finished last of 4 behind Man of Dreams on his handicap and seasonal debut. Will need to improve significantly to play a part. ARO Record: R3 W0 P0. (OR 62).

LAMY (IQ)
Ran some decent races in handicaps in 2009 notably when a close 4th in the 7f Premier Handicap on Dubai Day behind Balladore and when a close 7th in a Premier Handicap over 10f of this course but did not progress in his last 3 starts.  Has changed stables in the interim and unseated at the start on his seasonal debut 2 weeks ago. 12lbs out of the handicap and looks up against it in this company. ARO Record: R9 W0 P2. (OR 50)

Verdict:

Altesse Kossack is in the form of her life and at these weights there shouldn’t be a lot between her and Whispher who she beat last time out. Azwa, Essalda and the unbeaten Toutatix all have claims in a wide open contest. However the two to concentrate on are Abhar and Munya Farrah who met last time out.  Both make their handicap debuts here and providing he isn’t as green as he was on his debut, ABHAR is the pick, but it won’t be easy for the juvenile carrying top weight in a decent contest. [Gary Capewell]