Polar River ready to run

Sport360 staff 00:19 17/11/2016
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  • Poles apart: Polar River (r) won the UAE Oaks at Meydan in March.

    Champion Trainer Doug Watson enjoyed a tremendous campaign last season, including a highly productive Carnival when Polar River was one of the undoubted stars.

    Victorious in both the UAE 1000 Guineas and UAE Oaks, the 3yo daughter of Congrats then suffered her sole career defeat to date when constantly denied a clear run in the UAE Derby under a luckless Pat Dobbs, again in the saddle on Thursday.

    She did well to finish second on that occasion and looks an exciting prospect for the new season. That said, this evening’s race conditions make her task an awful lot tougher and, as a 3yo filly, she finds herself giving weight to older males.

    These include stable companion Grand Argentier who could be the main danger under Sam Hitchcott and the pair won a course and distance handicap in February.

    That was the highlight of his first local season and it will be disappointing if he cannot build on that during this campaign with the benefit of a summer in the UAE sure to have completed his acclimatisation.

    Watson said: “There are limited opportunities for these kind of horses and both mine are ready for a run having worked well in recent weeks. Obviously, Polar River has a lot of weight but this is the race we have aimed her at. Hopefully she can build on her excellent first season when she was a real star.

    “Likewise with Grand Argentier; this looked a good race to get him back in action and we hope both will run big races.”

    Pat Smullen will be aboard Top Clearance for Dhruba Selvaratnam who has swooped to secure the services of his former stable jockey after Chris Hayes, suffered a wrist injury a fortnight ago and is expected to be out of action for two weeks.

    Like the Watson duo, Top Clearance is a course and distance winner, having triumped in a handicap at the end of January. Selvaratnam is hoping a trip to the vet over the summer will benefit the horse.

    “He was gelded over the summer,” said Selvaratnam.

    “His work has been good in recent weeks but, like all of mine, he will improve a lot for the first run back, especially after the surgery.”

    The action swings to Al Ain on Friday for seven races, featuring a 1600m Purebred Arabian handicap. Eleven have been declared, including a trio trained by Eric Lemartinel for Sheikh Khalifa.

    With Champion Jockey Tadhg O’Shea, claimed to ride El Salaam for Ali Rashid Al Rayhi, Gerald Avranche partners Meydan Du Paon who looks the most likely winner for the Lemartinel team.

    THAKIF HEADLINES FIELD FOR NATIONAL DAY CUP

    Proven power: Thakif (l) en route to winning the President’s Cup this year.

    Proven power: Thakif (l) en route to winning the President’s Cup this year.

    Multiple Group I winner Thakif features among strong entries for the new-look National Day Cup to be staged at Al Ain Racecourse on Saturday, December 10.

    The 1800m Conditions event, which carries a purse of Dh500,000, of which Dh300,000 goes to the winner, has attracted 42 entries, including nine from Oman.

    The race has also been well-supported by the UAE’s leading Arabian stables, with multiple Group I winners Versac PY, owned by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Thakif, owned by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mansour Al Nahyan, among those nominated.

    Al Asayl handler Eric Lemartinel, leading trainer at Al Ain during the 2015-16 season, is responsible for five nominations, including winner RB Burn who triumphed in the Group I Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi last Sunday.

    Majed Al Jahouri, who trains on the track at Al Ain, has put forward six potential runners, including Thakif, winner of the Group I President’s Cup in the capital over the last two years.

    Course Director Faisal Al Rahmani said: “We’re so pleased that our new National Day Cup has been so well-received by owners and trainers. To have so many Group I winners, and international entries, in our first year is really special.

    “We hope the race will continue to grow over the next few years and become one of the most sought-after prizes on the UAE calendar.”

    Tadhg O’Shea, five-time UAE Champion and top jockey at Al Ain Racecourse for the last two seasons, said: “Al Ain is our newest track, so for them to have a race worth Dh500,000 is fantastic.

    “We’ll all very much look forward to riding in it on December 10.”

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