Double delight for Mullen and De Vries in AD

Sunday evening’s racing on the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club turf featured joint highlights, the Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic and Abu Dhabi Colts Classic, both restricted to 3-year-olds.

Each race carries Prestige status and it was ‘ladies first’ with the fillies’ event preceding the colts’ version, won impressively by debutante Heba Al Wathba. A polished effort from Richard Mullen, riding for Al Wathba Racing and Frenchman Jean de Roualle. Settled in about fifth, in a race few of the 13 fillies were ever really competitive, Mullen challenged between rivals halfway up the straight, grabbing the initiative about 175m from home and staying on strongly.

Half an hour later over the same 1400m, a capacity field of 16 contested the Abu Dhabi Colts Classic which was run at a furious early gallop with AF Thayer and Sawt Assalam scorching the turf throughout the first 1100m. As those two duelled for the lead, Adrie de Vries and Hameem led the remaining runners, closing on the leaders to challenge with about 250m remaining.

AF Thayer was the first to crack, Sawt Assalam lasting a bit longer, but soon beaten off with Hameem shooting clear with the race in safekeeping. A 1600m winner on dirt at Al Ain, the colt, saddled by Abdallah Al Hammadi for Al Ajban Stables, the colt remains unbeaten having also scored over the same trip just last Friday in a conditions race here in Abu Dhabi.

Adrie de Vries emulated Mullen by adding a 2200m handicap to his earlier Classic success, in his case taking the finale, the only Thoroughbred race on the card, aboard Harbour Spirit for Jaber Ramadhan.

The meeting kicked off with a 1200m maiden for horses foaled in the UAE in which AF Yastafez made a bold attempt to make all under Bernardo Pinheiro, the pair having most of their 13 rivals beaten off early in the straight, only to be snared close home by Sam Hitchcott aboard Majd Al Megirat. Settled in behind the leaders throughout the first half of the race, Hitchcott sent his mount after the early leader leaving the home turn and found a willing partner, the pair finishing well to snatch the spoils in the final 30m, the 4-year-old making it third time lucky.

Well beaten on debut in February, over 1400m on dirt at Al Ain, he was then second exactly a month later over the same 1200m course and distance as this victory. It was a first ever winner for trainer Ahmed Al Shehhi whose career highlight, prior to this, was the aforementioned runner-up finish by this horse in March. It was a second, but first for a long time, that the silks of owner Ahmed Aljneibi had been carried to victory.

Drawn widest of all the 15 runners in a 1600m handicap, Pat Cosgrave decided to stay there aboard Dassan Da, initially settling about halfway down the field before making smooth progress approaching the home turn. Still widest of all, they were soon in front before powering clear down the centre of the track to, ultimately, win relatively easily for Helal Alalawi. It was a fifth career success for the 8-year-old gelding, but first since February 2019. The only horse to have carried the colours of Mohd Ali Saif Ali Al Mezaini, he was registering the owner a maiden success at the fourth attempt, all this season and in the capital.

For horses in private ownership, a 2200m handicap provided the perfect opportunity for Richard Mullen to complete a double, producing Jawal Al Reef to lead early in the straight before staying on strongly for trainer Ahmed Al Mehairbi and owner Saif Asheer Ali Sulaiman Al Mazrouei, a second winner for each this season. Settled nearer last than first after a tardy start, the 7-year-old entire made stealthy progress on the back straight before challenging as the leaders entered the home turn. It was a fourth win for the horse, third on turf, but over further than a 1400m and two 1600m victories.

Sporting the predominantly orange silks of Ahmed Al Qattan, he had to work much harder on the 4-year-old gelded son of Charm Spirit, the pair only hitting the front with about 75m remaining, wrestling the lead from Jaaref, and then having to dig deep to deny a late challenge from Welford. A dual winner when trained in Britain by Richard Hughes, this was a first local success at the fifth attempt for the seasonal debutant after four local starts earlier this year.