November 24, 2013, Abu Dhabi ~ AF Muwall’Aa came with a late run under Gerald Avranche to collar Joyous Dream, the mount of James Doyle, close home to earn a back-to-back win in the 2200m Wathba Stud Farm Cup For Private Owners Only Sam Houston Race Park PA Conditions at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday.
Trained by the Abu Dhabi-based Frenchman, Eric Lemartinel on behalf of leading Purebred Arabian breeder and owner Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, the four-year-old son of Martin Al Maury appeared from nowhere to do the better work on the shadow of the post to deprive the Jebel Ali-based trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam his first Purebred Arabian win of the season.
Lemartinel and Avranche had earlier claimed the first running of the Wathba Stud Farm Cup For Private Owners Only on the opening day of the new season at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on November 10, with Mooser.
In the 2200m PA Handicap, the successful partnership of Lemartinel-Avranche brought in Ibn Battuta Monlau (Dormane (FR) x Okapie Domenjoi (FR) by Tidjani (FR) for owner, Rashed Mohd Mahran Al Blooshi, showing another good runner from the French breeding farm of Robert and Marie-Angle Bourdette. Lemartinel commented: “He ran here two weeks ago and needed that run. It put him spot on for this and he won nicely. He needs these stamina trips to be seen at his best.” Winning time: 2:35:85.
Champion Jockey Tadhg O’Shea was also in the winner’s circle, combining with trainer, Oertel, to claim the first two races. They began with race opener, a 1600m maiden, and O’Shea took control of the race and win on debutante, Namrah (Bibi De Carrere (FR) – Nevada Du Loup (FR) by Manganate). Clearly confident in her ability, O’Shea said: “She is a lovely young filly and one we really like. We were very hopeful coming here after what she has shown us at home but they need to do it on the track, and she certainly has.” Winning time: 1:48:40.
It was again Oertel and O’Shea in the PA Conditions 1600m with the win by locally bred, Molahen El Alhan (AL Nasr (FR) – Florine De Carrere by Djourman (FR), in the time of 1:50:19.
The only Thoroughbred race on the card, the concluding 2200m handicap, was won by Udabaa, trained by Doug Watson and ridden by Dane O’Neill for his main employer HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, director general of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club said: “We are expecting an exciting season with plenty of new horses showing up. The Arabian horse races take centre stage in the agenda of the venue and will continue to be so.”
The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival is organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and co-ordinated by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in association with Emirates Racing Authority, IFAHR and Emirates Arabian Horse Society, supported by General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare and Fegentri with Emirates airlines as the official carrier and sponsored by Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), Invest AD, Arabtec Holding PJSC, Al Rashid Investment, Areej Al Ameerat, Al Awani General Enterprises, Kabale, Al Wathba Centre, the UAE’s General Women’s Union, the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2013, Dr. Nader Saab Switzerland, Wathba Stud Farm, Al Wathba Center, Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, and Eastern Mangroves Suites-Abu Dhabi by Jannah and the Racing Post.
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