Makeshift jockey Fernando Jara leads RV Moulins Monarch to win

Peter Ward 09:39 21/12/2015
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  • Triumphant: Fernando Jara.

    Monday evening’s meeting at Abu Dhabi, the final UAE racing before Christmas, may not have been the highest quality fixture of the season so far but was certainly informative nonetheless.

    The highlighted 1,600m Listed Abu Dhabi Championship, one of three features restricted to threeyear- old Purebred Arabians (the youngest age at which they race as opposed to their Thoroughbred counterparts who race at two), was won by local debutant RV Moulins Monarch.

    Winner of one of his two previous starts, both on dirt, in his native USA, RV Moulins Monarch easily coped with this switch to turf on his first start for trainer Hassan Al Hammadi.

    For the trainer, it was a first success for four seasons and winning jockey, Fernando Jara, was only aboard because of a hamstring injury sustained by intended pilot, Richard Mullen, at Jebel Ali on Friday.

    Jara said: “These are the spare rides we really like. The trainer was pretty confident beforehand and the horse did well enough.”

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    Apprentice George Buckell was the man to follow in the earlier 1,400m 3yo features, landing both but in different circumstances and for different connections.

    The opening Abu Dhabi Fillies’ Classic went to Buckell aboard debutant Oraib, trained by Helal Al Alawi and, seemingly, clueless early on.

    However, at about the halfway point, she seemed to realise what was required and ran on nicely to score in comparative ease.

    In doing so, she collared AF Laja who had tried to make all for Ernst Oertel under David Probert. Half an hour later, Buckell did make all, aboard the Oertel-trained AF La’Asae in the Abu Dhabi Colts’ Classic, also over 1,400m. Buckell said: “Oraib took a bit of time to find her stride and then understand what I wanted. Once she did, she won nicely.”

    The only Thoroughbred race on the card, a 2,400m handicap, provided Hunters Creek a winning opportunity with Royston Ffrench committing him for home almost 600m out. Other winners were Tamooh S and Maftoon Al Reef in the 1,400m handicap and 1,600m conditions.

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