Down On Da Bayou wins featured Shadwell prize at Jebel Ali

UAE Oaks winner impresses under Xavier Ziani at last meeting of year

Xavier Ziani on Down On Da Bayou wins the Shadwell Rated Conditions race at Jebel Ali. Photo: DHRIC

The 2020 UAE Oaks winner Down On Da Bayou was back to her best to win the Shadwell Rated Conditions prize – the feature contest of the six-race card – at the year ending meeting at Jebel Ali on Friday.

Xavier Ziani, in the silks of Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, made all on the Salem bin Ghadayer-trained Super Saver filly to win the 1,600-metre race Lost Eden by four and-a-half lengths.

Down On Da Bayou was winning from her third start for the season having finished fourth on her reappearance at Meydan and third at Jebel Ali two weeks ago.

“She showed very good quality at two and three and then won the Oaks,” Ziani said of Down On Da Bayou.

“She always had this quality but she had a hard time after winning the Oaks. She travelled to the Saudi Cup meeting and that was the first time she travelled outside the country and then some hard races.

“This season, she ran over the 2,000m distance carrying 60kg and another hard race two weeks ago over 1,800m with 61kg on her back. Today she had only 55.5kg and with a furlong less, I knew she had a chance.

“To be honest, on Monday when I knew I will rider her, I told everyone at the stables she’s going to win.”

Doug Watson celebrated an early Christmas with a double with Violent Justice and Fawaareq.

Violent Justice gave the seven-time UAE champion trainer the first of his two winners by taking the opening Serve U maiden under Pat Dobbs by more than 10 lengths from the Ray Dawson-ridden Quality Humor.

Sam Hitchcock on board Fawaareq led the first two home for Watson to complete the double in the third race and take his tally to 19 and on top of the trainer’s championship table.

Hitchcock and Dobbs, atop Dangerous Thought, were clear of the rest with a neck separating them as they flashed past the winning post. Rayig under Antonio Fresu was more than seven lengths behind in third.

“This fellow has been with us for a while and has been knocking on the door a few times,” Watson said of the eight year old Invincible Spirit gelding’s first local win since November 2018.

“Both my horses ran well and great to see Fawaareq finally winning a prize and hopefully there will be more to come from him this season.”

Bernardo Pinheiro rode a double at the meeting for two different trainers. He won the second race on Ahmed Al Shemaili’s newcomer Desert Wisdom and the concluding handicap on Rashed Bouresly’s Capla Crusader.