Two Listed Stakes top Friday Jebel Ali meeting
- Last updated: February 20, 2020 | 23:38
Two Listed races, the Jebel Ali Sprint and Jebel Ali Stakes, highlight a busy eight-race Jebel Ali Racecourse card on Friday. Trained by Salem Bin Ghadayer for Ahmad Ghalita Almheiri, Montsarrat seeks history in the Jebel Ali Stakes when he competes for an unprecedented third consecutive victory in a 1950m contest only he and Treble Jig (2012/2013) have won more than once. He has not won since landing this 12 months ago, but was in the same position then having failed to score in between that and his 2018 victory.
However, Royston Ffrench, in the saddle last year, has opted to ride stable companion Chiefdom, penalised for his 1600m victory in the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile. The aforementioned Treble Jig did win both races in both 2012 and 2013, but did not carry a penalty because the Stakes was run before the Mile at the time.
A 5-year-old gelded son of The Factor, Ffrench’s mount has been an absolute revelation this season, winning four of his starts, kicking off with a 1600m Jebel Ali maiden victory in November and highlighted, on his penultimate start, with his Jebel Ali Mile victory.
Bin Ghadayer, also represented by local debutant Magnificent McCool, said: “These are Montsarrat’s optimum conditions and this has been his target again all season. He should run well. Chiefdom has enjoyed a stellar season and loves it at Jebel Ali. The longer trip might be a question mark and he does have a penalty, but he is in good form. We have not had Magnificent McCool long, but he seems a nice horse and we will see how he goes.”
Doug Watson saddles two, Shamaal Nibras who chased home Chiefdom in the Jebel Ali Mile he had won in 2018 and Just A Penny, fifth in that race and second to Montsarrat in this last year when Shamaal Nibras was third. Between them, the Watson duo can boast 11 Jebel Ali victories, seven for Just A Penny, who has won over the 1950m.
Watson said: “Both are in good form at home and seem to save their best for Jebel Ali, so we are hoping for good runs in what looks a strong renewal.”
Also doubly represented is Satish Seemar, Richard Mullen opting to partner Irish Freedom over their 2018 Al Bastakiya winner, Yulong Warrior, the mount of Tadhg O’Shea.
Over 1000m, the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint was won last year by Thammin for Musabbeh Al Mheiri with Jim Crowley riding for his main employer, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum). They will bid to emulate Try Prospect, Russian Rock and Morawij, all dual winners of this and each who defended his crown successfully.
Mheiri also trained Russian Rock as well as Taqseem and Muarrab, both successful in this for Sheikh Hamdan for whom he also saddles both Taneen whom Dane O’Neill has chosen to partner over Alkaraama, the mount of Antonio Fresu.
“All three of mine are proven at Jebel Ali,” Al Mheiri said. “Thammin obviously won this last year and Taneen is also a course and distance winner. Alkaraama was second on his debut for us over this 1000m Jebel Ali trip and we are keen to run him back there.”
On that occasion, Alkaraama chased home Leading Spirit, the choice of Mullen over Lavaspin, the mount of O’Shea, both owned by Mohd Khaleel Ahmed and trained by Seemar who said: “Both have shown good form at Jebel Ali and are good, solid sprinters who are still improving as they have not had much racing.”
Second last year, for Ffrench and Bin Ghadayer, was High on Life who again has the assistance of Ffrench with Xavier Ziani aboard stable companion Neverland Rock. The pair also clashed, in a 1000m turf handicap, at the 2020 Meydan Dubai World Cup Carnival just last Thursday, Neverland Rock in fourth, half a length in front of High On Life.
Bin Ghadayer said: “We keep trying to win this race and High On Life was third in 2017 and second in each of the last two years. Hopefully he can finally land the prize. Neverland Rock is a horse we want to try at Jebel Ali, so this is a good opportunity.”
Splitting the Bin Ghadayer duo at Meydan last week was Nine Below Zero for Fawzi Nass and Adrie de Vries. He too is making a first Jebel Ali appearance and certainly cannot be ruled out in what looks an open renewal.