Buick drives Selvaratnam success

There were doubles all round at Jebel Ali with Dhruba Selvaratnam taking the training plaudits and his stable jockeys picking up wins.

DUBAI // There were doubles all round at Jebel Ali with Dhruba Selvaratnam taking the training plaudits, while his stable jockey William Buick was joined by Wayne Smith and Fernando Jara in riding two victories. Both the Selvaratnam/Buick winners sported the famous yellow silks of their main patron Sheikh Ahmed and were highlighted by the success of Mandobi in the featured mile conditions race.

A Royal Ascot winner four years ago, the seven-year-old was registering his first career win on dirt and was followed into the winner's enclosure by the ultra impressive Alo Pura, representing the same connections, in the concluding six-furlong handicap. Buick was obviously delighted: "Mandobi is a really nice horse and definitely one I am looking forward to riding at the Carnival. He has won at Abu Dhabi also on the turf so hopefully we will have plenty of options with him.

"Alo Pura had not run for quite some time and I was a little bit worried he might need the run but he has really quickened nicely and was impressive." Menawhile, the trainer Mubarak bin Shafya followed up his first winner from only his second runner last week by saddling a double at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday night. Jesus Rosales won on Emirates Line in the nine-furlong handicap before the local apprentice Ahmad Ajtebi took the last race on the trainer's Arminius.

The featured 10-furlong handicap was won by Doug Watson's Elmustanser. Otherwise it was a frustrating night for the champion trainer, who saw three of his horses finish second. A high quality Purebred Arabian race was won by Rod Simpson's Fryvolous, denying Watson's Paris Gagner [e-mail]