The Oertel and O’Shea Victory Ride Rolls On
March 20, 2014, Al Ain, UAE ~ The Ernst Oertel and Tadhg O’Shea bandwagon continues apace with the Champion Trainer and Jockey combining with Callateral (Calin Du Loup (FR) x Tomoka Kate (US) by Ala Croixnoire) to win the Al Ain Mile, the 1600m feature race at the concluding Al Ain meeting of the season
The 1600m track record holder was always going well under O’Shea who settled him in midfield. They made smooth progress as the runners swept for home and loomed on the outside to lead 300m out after which they were never going to be caught. Thakif and Bigg N Rich battled for second with Thakif taking in front by a head. Winning time: 1:46:91
O’Shea said: “We have some nice young horses who should only improve and he is one of them. He was impressive the last time but this was a better race and that was a good performance against some proven Group horses. He will be one to look forward to for next season.”
O’Shea and Oertel were completing a double, having already combined with RB Dixie Burning (Burning Sand (US) x Dixies Delight (US)), the very impressive winner of an 1800m handicap.
Now unbeaten in three starts, she looks a nice prospect and O’Shea said: “She is a nice filly with a big future. She has won very well again and, like Callateral, will be interesting next season.”
The concluding 3000m handicap, the longest Purebred Arabian race in the UAE calendar, was won by Forgehill Cezanne (Dormane (FR) x Change Of Scent (FR) by Baroud III (FR), completing trebles for Oertel, O’Shea and owner HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The only Thoroughbred race on the card, a 1600m handicap, provided the perfect opportunity for the Ali Rashid Al Raihe-trained Ghaamer to register consecutive victories, making all under Dane O’Neill.
A 1400m Meydan Racecourse all-weather winner on his previous outing, he stayed on well to win this having fought off the challenge of Famous Warrior. O’Neill said: “We were drawn one so the plan was to get to the rail and be positive. He likes to be ridden prominently and has shown a good attitude when challenged.
Racing opened with a 1400m maiden, reasonably comfortably by Cercina (Bibi De Carrere (FR) x CHANTILLY (FR) by Djelfor (FR), ridden by Carlos Sandoval for trainer Jaber Bittar. Sandoval said: “It was quite hard work getting to the front but once we did she kept on well.”
A second maiden, over 1800m went to Tamooh S (Guytou De Carrere (FR) x AF ALWASHEM (AE) by BENGALI), ridden by Sam Hitchcott and a fist winner of the campaign for trainer Michael Kettle who said: “We have only had a handful of Purebred Arabian runners this season and it is nice to get one on the board.”
The trainer announced the winner would be his final Purebred Arabian runner with Jardim at Jebel Ali on Friday his final ever runner.
A second 1800m handicap was won comfortably by Wayne Smith, on the Saifaldin Deeb-trained Dere’A Al Jazeera (DAHESS (GB) x LAZIA LOTOISE (FR) by Kesberoy (FR), on whom Smith tracked the early speed but clearly did not want to go to the front too soon. The 200m pole was where he decided to go for home and they stormed clear.
Smith said: I was going well at the top of the straight but it is a long straight so I waited as long as I could.”
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