DUBAI // Jebel Ali’s biggest race of the season, the 1,600 metres Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile, was won for the second year running by Forjatt, trained on the course by Dhruba Selvaratnam and ridden by Oisin Murphy.
He had to work a lot harder than last year and prevailed only in a photo from Silver Galaxy, who he had passed 200m out but then threw down a renewed challenge.
The crowd cheered the two horses to the line and, when the result was announced, the Jebel Ali public gave the horse and rider a warm reaction as they returned to the winners stall.
“I have ridden some big winners at big meetings in Europe but that was an amazing reaction from the crowd,” Murphy said.
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“When we hit the line I was confident we were in front, but it was close.
“The instructions were to challenge as late as possible as Silver Galaxy stays a lot further and we knew he would fight back.”
Murphy becomes the third dual winner of the race.
His victory was the highlight of a treble for trainer, jockey and owner Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who had already won an 1,800m conditions race with Dormello and later won the 1,400m handicap with Gobooll.
“It has been a great afternoon and to win this race twice for Sheikh Ahmed is very special,” Selvaratnam said.
“We will hopefully go to Meydan on Super Saturday with him in the 1,600m Burj Nahaar on the dirt.
“I am not sure where we will go with Dormello but he did that very nicely today and Oisin has ridden them both very well.”
The Musabah Al Muhairi-trained Muarrab landed the main support race, the 1,000m Jebel Ali Sprint Trial, despite giving weight to his nine rivals.
Potentially the best of the UAE-based sprinters, Al Muhairi’s charge has now won six times at Jebel Ali and twice over this minimum course and distance.
It was a powerful display by Muarrab under Paul Hanagan and Al Muhairi has plenty to ponder regarding future targets.
“Obviously he goes very well here at Jebel Ali but he is just as good at Meydan,” the trainer said.
“The Jebel Ali Sprint is an obvious option but he could run on Super Saturday at Meydan instead.
“We have a few other nice sprinters so will have to sit down and make decisions for all of them and it is nice to have plenty of options.”
Diwaan made it four consecutive victories this season when landing a hard fought 1,950m conditions race under Pat Dobbs to register the pair’s fourth consecutive victory for trainer Doug Watson.
“He is a horse we always liked and has really hit form now,” Watson said. “Hopefully he has not stopped improving.”
Having never trained a winner in 153 attempts, Khalifa Al Neyadi finally opened his account when Silvestre De Sousa drove Mudallal Al Reef to victory in the opening 1,800m conditions contest, the only Purebred Arabian race on the card.
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