Important Mission a success for Ziani and Bin Ghadayer

Recap: Meydan (February 29, 2020)

Racing at Meydan on Saturday, a seven-race card, featured six competitive handicaps, including five contested by horses with 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival aspirations. The meet was arguably highlighted by The Mina, a 1200m dirt handicap and most valuable race on the card, won almost effortlessly by Important Mission.

Trained by Salem bin Ghadayer for Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum, the 6-year-old gelded son of More Than Ready normally leads, but on this occasion, was unable to get to the front with Drummore and Szczepan Mazur blazing the trail, and Xavier Ziani happy to track him. Clearly travelling strongly at halfway, Ziani was happy to bide his time until the 300m pole when he sent his mount to the front and the race was soon in safekeeping. It was a fourth career and second local success for the horse to add to a 1400m Meydan handicap success last April and a pair of all-weather victories in Britain when trained by William Haggas.

“We knew he had a big chance coming here this evening,” Ziani said of a horse who twice finished second in January. “We had high expectations for this horse this season, but he had an issue and the boss gave him a good break before bringing him back early this year.”

The 1200m turf handicap, the Creek Views, was a thriller with Dosc snatching the initiative about 300m from home when sweeping past eventual third Taneen and then having just enough left in the tank to deny the late challenge of Tadbir, like the winner challenging from the rear. Nearer last than first throughout the first half of the race, Dosc made smooth progress soon after halfway under Antonio Fresu before quickening to lead and clinging on grimly for trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri and owner Mohd Khalifa Al Basti.

A winner of one from three starts in Britain for David O’Meara, this was a first local success for the 5-year-old entire son of Dream Ahead on his fifth UAE outing, the best previous of which was fifth on his only turf start for Al Mheiri in a handicap over this course and distance at the beginning of January. His only subsequent outing saw him unseat his rider as the stalls opened at Jebel Ali five weeks ago.

Al Mheiri said: “We have always liked this horse, so it is nice to see him win and that was a very good performance in a competitive handicap.”

Trainer and jockey were soon celebrating a double after the following 1400m dirt handicap,the Aliyah, in which their California Jumbo flew home to snatch the spoils in the final 100m having been ridden patiently by Fresu, sporting the colours of Ahmed Belqosem. A 5-year-old Scat Daddy gelding, he was nearer last than first at halfway before making relentless progress in the straight and finishing fast to deny Guernsey who looked the likely winner when hitting the front 300m from home under Sam Hitchcott. However, they were swamped by the winner who was doubling his career tally having won a 1400m Al Ain handicap three starts ago at the beginning of January.

Al Mheiri said: “That was very exciting the way he has finished so fast from a long way back. Antonio has given him a great ride as he did Dosc.”

Also on turf, the 1600m handicap, the Al Furjan produced an electrifying finish with Hakeem and Jim Crowley leading right on the line to thwart Fernando Jara aboard Almoreb, both horses trained by Ali Rashid Al Rayhi for HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as was the fourth, Tafaakhor. A homebred 6-year-old gelded son of Exceed And Excel, he was having just his third local start, but first on turf after two Meydan dirt outings, over 2000m then 1600m, since leaving Britain where he won thrice for William Haggas. Settled in midfield by Crowley, he appeared to be short of room as the field entered the straight, but once they found daylight, finished very strongly to lead where it mattered.

Crowley, completing a double, said: “For a 6-year-old he has few miles on the clock and he ran well in both his dirt starts and I was pretty hopeful coming here this evening. I had to wait for a gap whereas the second had a smoother passage, so my fellow has done well to get to him on the line. He is a big horse who certainly stays further, so the fast gallop really helped him there. His dirt runs were not bad and, as I said, he is a big horse which I think is important for the dirt surface, so I would certainly try him on that again.”

When Tradesman dropped towards the rear of the 12 runners in the Mirage, a 1900m dirt handicap, he looked the most unlikely of winners, but jockey Brett Doyle was nothing if not persistent and was pushing his mount forcefully fully 800m from home. Having raced on the rail, Doyle switched his mount towards the centre of the track entering the straight and found a willing partner who galloped on resolutely, passing rival after rival, to lead close home. He beat Casey Jones who was seeking to provide Fresu and Al Mheiri a treble with Quartier Francais and Secret Trade, who like the winner were a long way behind on the home turn, finishing third and fourth.

An 8-year-old gelding trained by Doug Watson for EERC (Emirates Entertainment Racing Club), this was his third career win, all for current connections, having landed a handicap over 1800m at Jebel Ali and a 2000m Meydan handicap at the very first meeting of the season in late October.

A delighted EERC spokesman, Justin Byrne said: “Fair play to Brett there because they were going quick, so he was happy to take him back and take his time. When he switched him out at the top of the straight I was pretty confident he would finish well which he has done. We gave the horse a nice break to freshen him up and this was a good spot for him off joint bottom weight.”

Doyle produced a similar effort in the finale, a 2435m turf handicap, the Riviera 2, leading close home on Hard Taskmaster completing his own double and one for trainer Fawzi Nass who had earlier won a valuable turf race in Riyadh with Port Lions under stable jockey Adrie de Vries. Owned by Ahmed Al Qattari & Maher Lutfallah, the 4-year-old Moohaajim colt won four times in Britain for James Tate and Saeed Manana before being sold to current connections for 55,000gns in October 2018. He was then off the track for 426 days before returning for two runs in December when well beaten twice on the Meydan dirt surface and seemingly relished this switch to grass, finishing strongly, having been settled well off the pace, to deny Conclusion, another second for Fresu and Al Mheiri, with Godolphin’s hot favourite, Beauvais, third.

Doyle said: “That has been a great end to the evening with two nice winners. Tradesman has won over further, so I knew he would stay on well in the straight and he really battled well when I asked him. This fellow had actually not won on turf before with all his wins on the all-weather tracks in England, but he has really enjoyed the surface tonight and that was quite impressive because he beat two horses who arrived in good form.”

On the dirt track, the opening 1800m maiden restricted to 3-year-olds, the Riviera 1, was another winner for the Satish Seemar team which has been in flying form all season, his Zafeer landing the spoils under Jim Crowley for Sheikh Mohd bin Khalifa Al Maktoum. Homebred, and foaled in Japan, the Deep Impact colt started his career in Britain with Marco Botti, finishing second on his first two of three starts before his switch to Seemar and the UAE. This was a case of third time lucky locally after two unplaced Meydan outings in maidens, both over 1600m, the first on dirt, the second on turf. Settled just behind the leaders, in a race contested at a steady gallop, he was ridden to lead when a gap appeared about 300m from home, shooting clear, but was only just able to hold on from debutante Rose Grey who was finishing fast and late.

Crowley said: “We had a good draw and I was able to find a good posse in the race. They did not go overly quick, but we had a good split when the gap opened, so I went for home. Luckily the line arrived just in time.”

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