Mighty Marbaan takes Ras Al Khor Honours
Mdmar – Dubai Racing Club
The gloves were off in the G3 Ras Al Khor (sponsored by Azizi), the feature race of the penultimate night of the Dubai Racing Carnival at Meydan Racecourse, when Marbaan and Mysterious Night had a rematch – the fifth of their careers.
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After meeting twice in the UK and once in Dubai in their younger days, the pair finished first and second in the G2 Al Fahidi Fort, over the same 1400metre distance, in January. Charlie Appleby’s Mysterious Night was fancied to turn that form around this time but William Buick found himself penned in on the rail inside the last 400metres. Once out, Mysterious Night ran on but it was too late to collar Marbaan, who won by just over two lengths.
“He’s a super horse and his last win was very impressive, but you could say this was even more so,” said winning jockey Ray Dawson. “He traveled around there so well and all I needed was a bit of space, which I knew I’d get, and he picked up really well.
“Michael [Costa, trainer] has found the key to him which is to keep him as relaxed as possible, as he can be a bit hot headed. Hopefully he can keep this form for World Cup night, if that’s where connections decide to go, I don’t know what the plan is.”
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Things went better for Buick earlier on and his mount Royal Favour may have done enough to earn a G2 UAE Derby invitation after romping home in the 1900metre Azizi Creek Views Conditions Stakes.
The Simon and Ed Crisford trainee broke well but was taken off the lead by William Buick, tactics which paid off when he had plenty left at the business end, easily seeing off Poet Orten and winning by eight lengths.
“He did have to bounce back; we were all a little bit disappointed last time, but that was his first time among horses getting the proper kickback,” said Buick. “Today was totally different, I loved how he got out and got into the clear.
“He’s had a lot thrown at him already this winter and dealt with it well. The team will get together and decide what they want to do in the future.”
The Crisfords doubled up in race six, the Azizi Mina Handicap, over 1400metres on dirt, when Pen Portrait was much too strong under Danny Tudhope.
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The four-year-old was a winner at Sharjah earlier in the season and picked up a first Carnival win here, traveling strongly throughout the race and easily reeling in leader Action Point in the straight, winning by just over a length.
“He broke nicely and they went quick in front,” said Tudhope. “I had a nice position on the rail and it opened up well for him.
“That’s the first time I’ve sat on him, but he’s a very uncomplicated little horse. He’d been running over six furlongs [1200metres] but Pat Dobbs who has been riding him said he would stay seven [1400metres].”
Internationals Strike
The most popular winner of the night might well have been Silver Sword, who gave upwardly mobile UK-based South African trainer Dylan Cunha his first Carnival win in the Burj Azizi Handicap, over 1600metres on turf.
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The grey, who carries the famous ‘Secretariat’ blue and white checked silks, was making his fifth appearance of the Carnival but things finally dropped right. Ridden by Dawson, completing a double, he had most of the field ahead of him entering the straight but motored home to beat three recent winners in No Retreat, Folk Festival and Magnum Opus.
“I’m absolutely delighted for Dylan, Caroline [Kelly, work rider] and the girls that are here looking after him,” said Dawson. “They’ve been very persistent and it’s paid off. There were excuses last time [lost shoe] and I think he’s a sensitive boy all around, but he had been running consistently.
“Ideally you want to be in the middle of them but this horse doesn’t like to be bullied and they went quick enough early. I had to go a bit wide but he dug deep when I needed him to.”
13-time Spanish Champion Trainer Guillermo Arizkorreta already had one Carnival win courtesy of Thundering and made it two when El Bosnia took the closing 1200metre turf Azizi Riviera Handicap.
The eight-year-old benefited from a fast pace up front and passed most of the field to beat favourite Matloob by just under a length.
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“He couldn’t take the pace at the beginning, but for his mentality it’s good for him to pass horses. He did that, and he won!” said jockey Vaclav Janacek.
“It’s very special as he’s Spanish-bred and he’s demonstrated that a Spanish-bred can perform abroad.”
Dirt Switch No Problem for Camden
The Camden Colt had finished second on both prior starts in the UAE since coming over from the UK but the switch to dirt was an unknown.
Like so many from the Bhupat Seemar yard, it wasn’t a problem, and he tracked the pace set by Saleymm until that rival tired, allowed Tadhg O’Shea to go for home at the 400metre marker. Despite hanging to the left, he was an easy two and a half-length winner over Quality Humor in second.
“He’s been training superbly and we couldn’t believe that he got beaten twice on the turf,” said Seemar. “We spoke to the owners [Ghrghar Stables] and said that he was training well on the dirt, even though he has a complete turf pedigree. We were very confident coming in tonight.
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“Ideally, we’d like to run him in the Godolphin Mile, but his handicap might not go up enough to warrant that. So we might go to the Jebel Ali Classic over 1400metres.”
Ahmad Bin Harmash continues to produce winners and he combined with Connor Beasley to take the Azizi Wasl Handicap, over 1800metres on turf, with Cosmic Desert.
The six-year-old got a good lead into the straight from eventual third Poster Paint and was too strong for that rival and the closing Sense Of Wisdom. It was a 35th win of the season for Beasley, who is still in the hunt for a first Championship.
“He won a couple last season and just crept up the handicap, but switching to the turf has made a big difference – he’s a happy horse and travels well on it,” he said.
“They set good fractions down the back and I felt that I controlled the race from where I was. He lengthens, rather than quickens, but hopefully he can grab another one before the end of the season.”
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Djafar kept Group 1 company last season Europe, so his return to form once back on the turf in the opening G2 Mazrat Al Ruwayyah (sponsored by Azizi) for Purebred Arabians shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
Musabbeh Al Mheiri’s eight-year-old was ridden with plenty of confidence by Silvestre de Sousa, who produced him in the straight to collar pacesetter Al Laith, who battled back to finish second.
“He’s a nice horse.” said the current jockeys’ championship second. “Last week we really liked him, but we had a bit of trouble at the gates because of the horse next to me. Today he confirmed he’s good at a mile.
“He’s a strong Arabian, and he lengthened and quickened. He won, but he would have liked to have had more pace in the race.”
Meydan is back in action next Friday, 14 March, for the final meeting of the Dubai Racing Carnival, after which attention switches to the $30.5million Dubai World Cup meeting on 5 April.
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The “Mdmar” website for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
