Tamooh S Wins Wathba Stud Farm Cup for Private Owners
photo by Shamela Hanley
21 December 2015, Abu Dhabi, UAE ~ RV Moulins Monarch provided owner-trainer Hassan Al Hammadi with a career milestone scoring an impressive win in the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship (1600m), the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club’s feature race on Sunday, 20 December.
The Arkan Stables-based horseman was able to celebrate his first winner since the 2011/12 season, his thirteenth as an owner and his fourth after taking a trainers license. The former USA-raced three-year-old was ridden by Fernando Jara instead of the originally booked Richard Mullen, who had injured a hamstring while riding at Jebel Ali on Friday. Second in was Sniper De Monlau followed by Badira De Monlau.
“Obviously, it is a shame for Richard,” said Jara. “But it was a nice, late, spare ride for me and he has won well. The trainer was pretty confident and this is a horse who has now had only three starts and won his first one in America also.”
RV Moulins Monarch, of double Monarch AH pedigree by Moulin Rouge MAF(US), was successful on debut in his homeland in April though was then well beaten in a higher class race before his switch to the UAE.
The opening race on the card the Abu Dhabi Fillies’ Classic (1400m) was won comfortably by debutante Oraib, ridden by apprentice George Buckell. The Helal Al Alawi-trained youngster was a long way out of her ground at the halfway stage, seemingly having a massive amount to do.
AF Laja ridden by David Probert had set sail for home and turned into the straight with a formidable lead. However, Oraib (MAJD AL ARAB) could be seen sluicing through the pack from the outside, and took off in pursuit. AF Laja, clearly treading water at the 200m, was mown down by Oraib leading clearly 50m from the wire.
“They went pretty quick,” said Buckell. “She was pretty green early on but when the penny dropped she picked up well. It was a good first start and you would hope she can progress from this.”
The young jockey wasted absolutely no time in doubling his big race tally for the evening winning the second race, The Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (1400m).
A F Laja’s defeat in the previous might have dashed the hopes of trainer Ernst Oertel and owner-breeder Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, but Buckell quickly redeemed himself and was soon their pin-up jockey leading all the way on the combination’s AF La’Asae.
“He did it nicely,” said Buckell. “I was always happy going a steady gallop out in front and then he found plenty when I asked. “It was a good win in a decent little race. He can, hopefully, build on this and it is a great privilege to ride for Messrs Al Nabooda and Oertel.”
Tamooh S rallied with a late burst under Jose Santiago to win the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival’s Wathba Stud Farm Cup For Private Owners. Owned by Ali Ebraheem Al Hosani, Tamooh S finished ahead of Naiem under Royston Ffrench in the 1400m handicap which carried a prize fund of Dh 80,000. The five-year-old filly appeared to be struggling at halfway under Jose Santiago, but landed the spoils for trainer Elise Jeanne.
The finale, a 1600m maiden, went the way of Maftoon Al Reef (Bibi De Carrere) ridden to a smooth victory by Jesus Rosales, a seventh winner so far this season for trainer Abdallah Al Hammadi who has enjoyed a productive period.
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