Areem, in the Group 3 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup, and Forjatt in the Listed National Day Cup, were the two big winners in the season’s first major race for Thoroughbreds.
Both races were over 1600m, conditions which have always suited Areem who twice won the Group 1 National Day Cup over the same course and distance, as well as finishing second in the same race last year.
Trained by Nacer Samiri, Areem is currently the only horse to have represented Sheikh Hamdan bin Mansour who has yet to taste defeat as an owner with this horse winning both his starts.
Richard Mullen took him straight to the front and, from halfway down the distance, the pair never looked likely to be passed.
Mullen said: “We all know Areem loves to jump and run, it is the way he races. He may not be as young as he was but the ability and willing attitude remain.”
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Chris Hayes, in his first season as retained jockey for Dhruba Selvaratnam and Sheikh Ahmed, produced Forjatt with a perfectly timed challenge an hour later.
When they won the prep race they were in front about 300m out but Hayes was clearly determined to wait longer this time, leaving it until the final 100m.
Forjatt, also winner of the 2014 Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile (and subsequently disqualified having ‘won’ the same race last season having tested positive for a prohibited substance), was forced to work hard by Ghaamer and finally More Aspen.
Trebles were the order of the day on the undercard with owner Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda providing the first three winners with AF Laja, AF La’Asae and AF Mathmon all scoring easily.
The last named was saddled by Musabah Al Muhairi but the first pair are trained by Ernst Oertel who later saw his Madjanthis victorious in a 1200m handicap.
