Saifaldin Deeb in comfort­able victory in opening leg of The Al Ain Sprint Series

Peter Ward 08:46 20/12/2014
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  • Plenty of speed: Tadhg O’Shea was confident Najem S’Heel could do the job

    A 1,000m conditions race, the opening leg of The Al Ain Sprint Series and the final race on the card, was the feature at Al Ain yesterday afternoon and Saifaldin Deeb sad­dled Najem S’Heel for a comfort­able victory.

    – Pat Dobbs hoping Storm Belt can deliver again in Dubai

    Champion Jockey Tadhg O’Shea was in the saddle and the pair hit the front about 300m from home and powered clear of their five rivals.

    O’Shea, completing a double, said: “He has plenty of speed and 1,000m really suits him.

    “He was also proven on dirt so I was hopeful but that is an improved effort as he had plenty to find according to the official ratings,” the Champion Jockey added.

    Earlier, the jockey landed a 1,600m conditions race, won by Mazaha, for trainer Helal Al Alawi. The pair led close home and O’Shea said: “I was second on her here last time over 1,400m and the extra 200m has really suited her [this time].”

    A 2,600m handicap and the opening leg of The Al Ain Marathon Series was won easily by Zeyad, completing a double on the card for trainer Ibrahim Al Hadhrami and jockey Royston Ffrench.

    Ffrench’s mount had opened his account on his previous start, in a 1,700m handicap on the same track and relished every yard of this extended trip.

    The mount looks a stayer with a bright future, and jockey Ffrench agrees: “He is perhaps unlucky not to have won there on the bounce as we could have won his penultimate start.

    “The further we went today the more confident I was. It was a big win in a decent handicap,” Ffrench added.

    The afternoon’s racing opened with an 1,800m maiden and the Al Hadhrami-trained AL Mukafih, having his fourth career start and first on dirt, landed the spoils in determined fashion under Ffrench.

    Ffrench said: “I was in front a long way and we were headed 200m out but he fought back well.”

    The only Thoroughbred contest, a 1,600m handicap, went the way of Shihab, ridden by Richard Mul­len for his main employer Satish Seemar. Shihab opened his UAE account at the ninth attempt yes­terday.

    The pair led close home, and Mullen said: “He has been running well this season and was second on both his two previous outings, so it is great he has managed to get his head in front.

    “He stays further so hopefully we have a few options with him as he relishes these dirt surfaces,” Mul­len added.

    Dane O’Neill was aboard Sheikh Hamdan’s Alameer, comfortable winner of a 1,400m handicap for trainer Musabah Al Muhairi.

    It was a second course win for the horse, who shed his maiden tag here over 1,600m on his penulti­mate start.

    O’Neill said: “He did that nicely and I was always confident.”

    Abu Dhabi will host its next race tomorrow.

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