Qareeb conquers Jebel Ali Racecourse feature

Making a triumphant return, Qareeb conquered the JARC Sports Day Cup sponsored by Shadwell under jockey Richard Mullen during the eighth meeting of the Jebel Ali Racecourse on Saturday.

Having tasted success at Meydan three times, Qareeb, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri, channeled his near-miss behind Webinar into a thrilling win.

Qareeb cruised through the race with Mullen firmly in the saddle, making his move with 600m remaining and quickly building a sizable lead over his rivals.

Maintaining advantage, the Nasir Asker owned Qareeb comfortably secured victory by four-and-three quarter lengths, with Alhzeem (ridden by Tom Marquand for Michael Costa) in second and Lost Eden, ridden by Pat Dobbs for Doug Watson, finishing third.

Jebel Ali trainer Michael Costa enjoyed a double as jockey Johnnatan Castano Mateus continued his impressive form on Laa Baas, rebounding from a modest performance in the Al Wasl Sports Club Stakes.

Costa’s successful day continued with Kaatib, who finished strongly to win the 21 Years Partnership Cup (1600m), defeating Al Arbed by a head.

“It was a pleasure to welcome Al Wasl to Jebel Ali Racecourse,” said Mohamed Al Ahmed, General Manager of Jebel Ali Racecourse.

“Having one of the UAE’s biggest football clubs join us was a true honor, and their presence added a whole new dimension to the excitement.

“In my personal opinion, beyond the racetrack, horse racing fosters a vibrant community. It’s a place for gathering, networking, and celebrating.

“Horse racing isn’t just about the sport; it’s about coming together, forging connections, and even exploring business opportunities. It’s a tapestry woven with various threads, and I’m passionate about involving more and more people from different walks of life.

“Dubai’s reputation as a global leader in horse racing is well-deserved. The Emirate excels in both local and international competitions, consistently raising the bar for the sport.

“We witnessed amazing races and a crowd buzzing with energy,” Ahmed added.

With steely resolve, Tom Marquand urged his mount over the line, securing a narrow victory by one-and-three-quarter lengths over Alla Mahlak (Rashed Bouresly/Abdul Aziz Al Balushi).

Rashad Al Wathba secured success in the opening Porsche Cup under Connor Beasley, a maiden over 1700m, riding for trainer Ibrahim Al Hadhrami in the colors of Al Wathba Racing. Despite a mid-race challenge, Beasley guided his mount to victory by two-and-a-half lengths, overcoming HK Gomar, ridden by Sandro Paiva, with AF Qemah, ridden by Tadgh O’Shea, finishing third.

“He ran here last week over six furlongs and was stepped up in trip today, which we thought would suit,” said Beasley.

 “He jumped and travelled well until halfway at which point, he got a little outpaced.

“Once I asked him to go about his job, he went about it really well and hit both the hill and the line real strong.”

Beasley completed a quick double by riding Bismalih Alik to victory in the CBD 3yo Stakes sponsored by Commercial Bank of Dubai.

“It was just his fourth start and he has been learning on the job,” said Beasley.

“He was in good form prior to today and we always felt it was a positive coming back to Jebel Ali over the 1400m and he did the job really well – hopefully he can continue to progress after this win.”

Making a successful debut on the racecourse, Elusive Terry, in the colors of Diarmuid Clohessy, clinched victory in the Bin Dasmal Group Stakes under Tadgh O’Shea.

Mashkoor, a four-year-old, secured his first win at the fifth attempt by comfortably winning the Newbury Racecourse Cup.

Ridden by Adrie de Vries for trainer Marwan Al Baidhaei, the son of Cupid displayed a fondness for the Jebel Ali dirt, decisively pulling away from competitors to redeem himself after a narrow defeat in the previous week.