Richard Mullen leads the UAE Jockeys’ Championship with 41 winners, 5 more than closest rival, Silvestre De Sousa
9 March 2015, Abu Dhabi ~ Meanwhile de Sousa’s boss, Musabah Al Muhairi has saddled 42 winners in the Trainers’ Championship, leaving him three ahead of Doug Watson.
Mullen’s 41st victory of the season came in the featured 1400m handicap, the only Thoroughbred race at Abu Dhabi on Sunday evening riding for his main employer, Satish Seemar.
Salem Al Ketbi has had his string firing on all cylinders since replacing Ernst Oertel at Al Asayl and his RB Torch (TH Richie (US) x Burnie Gee PW (US) by Burning Sand) made it look easy under Tadhg O’Shea, finishing first by almost 6 lengths in the best of the Purebred Arabian action, a 1600m handicap. He has now won three of his four starts, suffering his sole defeat over this course and distance behind his stable companion, Abhaar, in the Listed opening round of the Arabian Triple Crown.
“We have some nice young horses in the yard and he is one of them,” said O’Shea. “He is still learning about the game but is a very exiting prospect who could be unlucky not to be unbeaten; when he was defeated a horse fell in front of him and he lost vital ground and momentum. That said we still won the race with Abhaar who is also very smart.”
Having failed to saddle a winner in his first UAE season during the last campaign, Hardy Hotger has enjoyed a lot more success second time round and won the opening 1400m maiden with Ben Seddiq (DJEL BON x Bageria (RU) by Gusar (RU).
Fitted with blinkers for the first, he stormed clear early in the straight to finally shed his maiden tag at the 17th attempt and provide his trainer’s fifth winner of the season.
AF Mathmoon (AF ALBAHAR (AE) – TEMPTAYSHUHN (FR), having made an impressive winning debut in a 1400m maiden a fortnight ago, followed up in similar style in a handicap over the same course and distance. Trained by Musabah Al Muhairi, he was again ridden by stable jockey, Silvestre De Sousa who sent him about his business on the home turn and they ran on strongly to lead halfway up the straight.
Majed Al Jahouri trained Da’Areen (Bibi De Carrere (FR) x Fazzaha(FR) was also the winner of his 1400m maiden only last week for the stables of HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed al Nahyan, again under De Sousa. This time he was chased home this time by stable companion, Bibisheena.
“The first win for the filly last week has done her confidence the power of good and she has won this stronger contest well,” said De Sousa. “Hopefully she can build on this.”
Having celebrated doubles at both Jebel Ali on Friday and Meydan’s Super Saturday fixture, this was a 42nd winner this season for the trainer taking him three clear of Doug Watson in the trainer’s table.
Apprentice jockey Oisin Murphy was aboard AK Adour when they won the Wathba Stud Farm Cup 1200m handicap for trainer Ahmed Al Mehairbi.