Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

A 1200m prestige handicap inaugurated just last year, for horses foaled in the UAE, the Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup is the undoubted highlighted of the six races scheduled for Sharjah Longines Racecourse on Saturday afternoon.

Fourteen have been declared, including a pair of 5-year-old mares to be saddled by Ernst Oertel for Champion Owner Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda. They combined with the owner’s retained jockey, Tadhg O’Shea, to win the inaugural edition 12 months ago with recent National Day Cup hero AF Alwajel.

Sultan Mohammed Khalifa Al Yahyaee, General Manager of the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club said: “It is going to be a very competitive day of racing and we have big fields in most of the races, who will be competing at the Sharjah Longines Racecourse on Saturday.

Sharjah Longines Racecourse has always been a popular racecourse for trainers and jockeys, but unfortunately due to the Covid-19 situation racing is being held without fans.

“We are thankful to Al Marwan General Contracting Co LLC for sponsoring the feature race the Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup.

“We welcome the other sponsors of races and thank them for joining us on the sponsorship roster. We look forward to a good competitive day of racing and what promises to be an entertaining afternoon of racing,” Yahyaee added.

Second on that occasion was AF Mouthirah, ridden then by Szczepan Mazur, but to be partnered this time by Richard Mullen with O’Shea opting to ride stable companion AF Taghzel.

O’Shea explained: “It was not an easy choice because both have run well at Sharjah in the past. AF Mouthirah is returning from a break of ten months whereas AF Taghzel has two outings under her belt this season, so should be spot on for Saturday.” Mazur combines with Irfan Ellahi, a trainer whose horses normally relish Sharjah, but who is making a belated start to the current campaign, with JAP Aneed, seeking a second career success on what will be just his fifth start. A 1200m turf winner on debut, the 4-year-old was second over 1800m in the Al Ain Derby, on his sole dirt outing.

Fernando Jara is aboard dirt debutant Jawaal who will attempt to concede weight to his 13 rivals for Majed Al JahoOri and Al Wathba Racing. A 4-year-old, he has won once from six starts, all on the Abu Dhabi turf, landing the 1600m Emirates Colts Classic, a prestige contest, in February.

The 6-year-old AF Ramz was a 1600m Al Ain winner just last Saturday for Khalifa Al Neyadi and again has the assistance and valuable weight allowance of Omani apprentice Saif Al Balushi.

Another arriving on the back of an Al Ain victory, in his case a 1400m handicap three weeks ago, is 8-year-old ES Nahawand for Mohamed Daggash. With regular jockey Jara unavailable, the in-form Bernardo Pinheiro takes over in the saddle.

The Brazilian jockey said: “The season has gone great so far, and let us hope that continues! ES Nahawand looks a nice spare ride in an open race, arrives in winning form and is a winner at Sharjah in the past.” For Ahmed Al Shemaili, Antonio Fresu is aboard AF Metawed, another making his seasonal debut whereas Maqam will be having his third start of the ongoing season. A 4-year-old colt, to be saddled by Eric Lemartinel for Sheikha Alyazia bint Sultan Al Nahyan, the latter, the mount of Fabrice Veron, won a 1200m Sharjah maiden last November, so conditions clearly suit him.

Equally competitive is the only Thoroughbred race, also a handicap over 1200m with Satish Seemar responsible for four of the 11 declared runners, Richard Mullen choosing to partner Bedaveeya, a 1000m Sharjah winner in October 2018. A 6-year-old Tizway mare, that remains her sole victory after 15 starts.

Stable companion One Season, the mount of stable apprentice Nathan Crosse is also a 1000m course winner, in his case 13 months ago when doubling his career tally, having made a winning racecourse debut as a 2-year-old over 1400m at Meydan in December 2017.