Super Sunday for Fawzi Nass

Training honours at Meydan Racecourse on Sunday went to Fawzi Nass, who saddled a superb treble; Shake Hand, Sharar and Go Soldier Go scoring for the Bahraini handler.

The 1400metre Emirates Holidays Maiden, race two, was the first to go Nass when Shake Hand, seventh to his stablemate Legend Of Cannes three weeks before, beat three rivals under a patient ride from Adrie De Vries. At the rear of the pack for the majority of the race, the Honor Code colt swept past his rivals inside the final 200metres and then race was over; Habooba fishing second by four lengths.

“I suppose on paper that this was a weak maiden,” reflected jockey De Vies “but this horse was very unlucky on his last two starts, with a bad draw. We switched him back to dirt today, which was an easier option and he’s a horse who always works well a home so it’s a nice result.”

There was an even nicer result in race three, the Emirates.com Handicap over 1800metres on turf, when Nass and De Vries combined with Sharar (pictured), one of just two three-year-olds in the race.

The Gun Runner colt was second on his previous run over 1600metres but had it won by that point in this race, powering clear of Capla Crusader by four lengths at the line.

“He’s a classy horse. Today we put a pair of visors on him just to help with the kickback, although it wasn’t a big field,” said De Vries. “We wanted him to have a good experience.”

The final leg of the Nass and Vries treble came in the Emirates Airline Condition Stakes over 1900metres on dirt. Their Tapit colt Go Soldier Go faced five rivals, but none could reply once he went for home, taking the advantage by five and a half lengths at the line.

“He’s a classy horse but he’s still very immature,” said De Vries. “He had a bad experience last time out with the bad weather and he faced a lot of kickback.

“This is why we put a pair of blinkers on him, just to help him travel a bit better.”

Malune on the scoresheet again

The evening staged three races worth AEE95,000, including race five, the Arabian Adventures handicap over 1800metres on turf. 13 lined for what tuned out to be the finish of the night. Favourite Invincibly took them as far as the straight, when Aeonian, El Patriota and First Winter threw down challenges, the latter winning by a head for trainer Ahmad Bin Harmash.

It was a third local winner for Italian rider Gabriel Malune, who said: “today there was good pace early on and I was able to switch him off, as he’s a horse who can get quite keen early. “Off the bend when I kicked he was good all the way home.”

The night’s official feature was the Emirates Airline Handicap, over 1900metres on turf. Bin Harmash’s Zucchini was well fancied to follow-up his Meydan win from three weeks’ ago, but instead it was Sari Dubai who did just that.

“He is a gorgeous big horse, with a good mind as well; very relaxed” Said Pat Dobbs. I was kind of ‘stop start’ turning in, and I wanted to get him rolling, but luckily, he has plenty of ability.”

Watson and Dobbs completed a double when Exciting Days took the closing Emirates Airline 1800m Turf. It provided a quick return on investment for owners Al Bait Mutawahed Team when their new purchase Existing Days won by three-quarters of a length from Light Beam.

Miqyaas may have done enough to earn a spot at the Dubai World Cup Carnival after pulverizing a strong field in the Emirates SkyCargo Handicap, Race 7.

A lightly raced eight-year-old for trainer/owner Rasheda Bouresly., Miqyaas is now a winner at Meydan on dirt and turf, after a two and a half length win over Celtic Voyager, with Madkhal third.

The day’s opening Emirates Skywards Maiden went to Great Deed for trainer Ahmed Al Shemaili on debut. An AED 45,000 purchase at the September Racing In Dubai Sale, the four-year-old ran up with the pace throughout but had to dig deep to see off favourite Made In Dubai by a nose.

The Carnival continues next Friday, February 10^th, when the G2 Blue Point Sprint and G3 UAE 2000 Guineas takes center stage.