ABU DHABI // Richard Mullen, the UAE champion jockey, made the most of a spare ride left by Wayne Smith to win the Group 3 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup on-board Areem last night.
Smith rode Areem to an impressive win in the trial for this race three weeks ago but chose instead to ride stablemate Thakif, on the strength of his third behind the Qatari raider Kalino and the French-trained Sahabba in the €1.2 million (Dh4.7m) Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown last month. Areem was also runner-up behind Thakif in the same race 12 months ago when it was the National Day Cup for Purebred Arabians
“It was my first time on Areem and it proved to be a very nice spare ride,” Mullen said.
“Actually it was Wayne who put me on him because he had a tough choice with Thakif. Sometimes it happens, but for me, its was real nice to win a prestigious race in Abu Dhabi.”
Mullen had Areem quickly out of the gate and bowling along with his familiar front-running ploy. He soon had the field stretched out on the home stretch to win the Dh420,000 race by two-and-quarter lengths.
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Areem was chased home by Eric Lemartinel trio Abhaar, Abu Alabyad and RB Smokin Rich, with Thakif more than eight lengths behind in fifth.
“Areem has got such good cruising speed and I thought turning in I still had a lot at hand,” Mullen said.
“I thought if anything didn’t come to me at the furlong pole he had put the race to bed. He travelled well and had such good speed throughout the race, and it had to take a very good one to pass me.”
Nacer Samiri, the trainer of both Areem and Thakif, said it was a tough call for Smith and a lucky one for Mullen.
“If you ask me, there was nothing much to choose between the two horses,” said the trainer of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed’s Al Wathba Stables. “It was how the race panned out on the night. Thakif had to race wide outside horses. He was a bit unlucky but we can’t take anything away from the winner. Areem seems to have returned to the form that won him four Group 1 prizes.”
Christopher Hayes produced a blistering late run on the Dhruba Selvaratnam-trained Forjatt to clinch the Listed Dh380,000 National Day Cup for thoroughbreds from More Aspen and Ghaamer.
The seven-year-old gelded son of Iffraaj won the trial race three weeks ago but this was a much stronger field.
“He had to do a lot on the final 200 metres, but he’s genuine and tough, and did it very nicely at the end,” Hayes said.
Ernst Oertel, the two-time UAE Champion Trainer, saddled three winners under three different jockeys.
“It has been a wonderful evening,” said Oertel, who also saddled two winners in Sharjah on Saturday.
“We have got some very nice young horses but we are just taking our time.
“When you start a new stable it takes time to get everything to work properly. We are hopeful some of these runners will improve during the season.”
Oertel saidhis first two winners last night – AF Laja and AF La’Asae – will return for the two Prestige races, the Colts and Fillies’ Classics, in two weeks. “They were impressive winners.”
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