Sharjah has been a happy hunting ground for Tadhg O’Shea, including 10 winners from only 34 rides two seasons ago, and he has a mount in all six races at the track’s first meeting of the season Saturday afternoon.
Fresh from a Meydan double on Thursday, meaning he leads the fledgling jockeys’ table with three winners, O’Shea will be hoping to win the featured 2,000m handicap again on Bedayer Al Asayl.
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The pair beat just six rivals in the race 12 months ago but appear to face a far stiffer task this time, with 15 opponents, including stable companion Bashayer.
Both are trained by Eric Lemartinel, the new master of the ultra powerful Al Asayl Stables of Sheikh Khalifa and it could be that Bashayer, the mount of Gerald Avranche, is his main hope.
“Bedayer Al Asayl is obviously proven under these conditions,” said Lemartinel. “Bashayer has only had four starts but did win on dirt at Al Ain. Hopefully she has more to come.”
Doug Watson heads the trainers’ list with four winners, having saddled doubles at both Jebel Ali and Meydan. His six Sharjah winners last season, from 18 runners, was the most of any trainer and he has two in the feature race.
Kokomo, the mount of stable jockey Pat Dobbs, won at Sharjah last season, while The Secret, owned by Sheikh Hamdan and ridden by Dane O’Neill, has yet to win a race after seven attempts.
“The Secret works like a good horse,” said Watson. “He has just yet to put it together in a race but still has time on his side.
“Kokomo acts well on the surface and we are keen to try her over 2,000m as she seems to stay well.”
O’Neill was also in double form at Meydan on Thursday and rides Tagseed in the only thoroughbred race on the card, a 1,200m handicap. Trained by Musabah Al Muhairi, he too is owned by Sheikh Hamdan and has to give weight to his 13 rivals, but he is at least a course and distance winner.
Watson relies on Mukhabarat who will need to put a disappointing run at Jebel Ali last week behind him and Muharrib could be a bigger danger for Ismail Mohammed.
