Michael Costa, retained trainer for Sheikh Ahmed, has presence in five of the six Thoroughbred contests on the on the seven-race card.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Jebel Ali Racecourse will host the second meeting of the season on Saturday, with six Thoroughbred contests on the seven-race card. The afternoon's highlight is the 1400m Mohaather Stakes, sponsored by Shadwell.

The Michael Costa-trained duo, Sadaaty and Mersaal, positions the Jebel Ali Stables team strongly for patron Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Sadaaty, a four-year-old Munnings gelding, had an impressive debut win in January 2022 but faced setbacks with subsequent lackluster performances and an injury sidelining him for over a year.

Returning with jockey Ben Coen, he faces competition from the more experienced Mersaal, who finished third of six in the feature event of the previous meeting. Qais Al Busaidi gets the ride aboard the five-year-old gelded son of Ghostzapper, who has a pair of handy wins to boost his reputation.

Victorious on his first start in a 1200m maiden, Mersaal went on to defeat the 2020 UAE Oaks heroine Down On Da Bayou with a sustained drive on what was a massive class upgrade on his very next run.

 
Mohammed Al Ahmed poses for a photograph.

That experience, aligned with the racing exposure he’s already enjoyed this term, should make him a formidable foe. Musabbeh Al Mheiri, who reached and breached the 500-winner mark with a double last Friday at Meydan, dispatches Shadwell pair Asad Zabeel, who was headed in the final furlong of last year’s Jebel Ali Classic run over track and trip, and Almoreb, a three-time course and distance champion with a further seven placings at the venue.

Jebel Ali Stables were off to an electrifying start in the season opener after winning five out of six races. This week seems to be no different, as Costa has prepared a dozen horses for the seven-race race-card.

Except for the 1950m Dubai Fitness Challenge 30x30 Cup, the famous yellow silks of Sheikh Ahmed are well represented in all the remaining races. Besides Mohaather Stakes, another highlight of the day is Handicap Sprint Stakes, sponsored by the Emirates Sprint Series over 1000m. Costa has pinned hopes on Bilhayl and Laa Baas to land five-runner Handicap Sprint Stakes glory.

The 2yo Novice Stakes, in which Costa fields three of the five horses entered, may be one of the most exciting races on the schedule. Coen made the best decision by selecting Turjman, the only horse in the field with prior competition experience. Action gets underway with the Audi Cup, a 1000m maiden for Purebred Arabians.

Six got to post in the Dubai Fitness Challenge 30x30 Cup, where Doug Watson will be looking to cash in with National Bank.

The five-year-old Dubawi gelding catches the eye courtesy of his course and distance win from last season. Salem Bin Ghadayer has a pair of entries in this event, with Attribution’s and Trumpet Man bidding to make some noise. Commenting on the second meeting of the season, Mohammed Al Ahmed, general manager of Jebel Ali Racecourse, said: “After a perfect start to the season and an overwhelming response from the trainers and jockeys, we are anticipating another round of thrilling races on the cards with top horses returning to track. Racecourse this weekend. Most of the afternoon’s races have attracted a large number of runners, which is very rewarding.

“I would like to extend our thanks to all the owners, trainers, and jockeys who continue to enrich our race meetings by participating with their best horses. We are pleased to hold this position. “All preparations are in place, and we will continue to keep our attention on giving our racegoers the greatest entertainment possible,” he added.

“This meeting, we are having an art day concept that praises racing and art. There will be seven artists who will showcase their art in the Garden area to make the race meeting a concept to involve all sorts of industries to come and get involved.”