AF Qoot completes hat-trick after landing her biggest career prize

Richard Mullen and trainer Salem Al Ketbi share a double for the Al Asayl Stables

AF Qoot wins under Pat Dobbs at Sharjah on Sunday, December 18, 2022. – Adiyat Racing Plus

AF Qoot bagged her biggest career prize when she landed the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup for Purebred Arabians at Sharjah on Sunday.

The five-year-old, trained by Khalifa Al Neyadi and ridden by Pat Dobbs, produced a late surge to collar Tadhg O’Shea and AF Thayer and stable companion Yas Xmnsor by a length and-a-quarters and a head.

AF Qoot was completing a hat-trick after winning her last two starts, over the 1,000m dash in Sharjah and Al Ain, before her biggest success over the extended 1,200m trip.

Richard Mullen rode a double for the Al Asayl Stables trainer Salem Al Ketbi, by taking the second and fourth races.

The Englishman produced a well-timed run on Taajer to take the handicap over 2,000m from the fast-finishing ES Abu Mousa, and completed the brace with a similar run on board Makhtar, this time over the 1,700m trip.

Majd Al Megirat, under Omani jockey Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, provided Ali Al Ameri his first career win since he took out his trainer’s licence in 1997.

The six-year-old Big Easy gelding prevailed in a blanket finish to pip the Ernst Oertel-trained pair AF Yenomes (Marcelino Rodrigues) and AF Hajeej (O’Shea) in a photo in the opening race.

O’Shea won the third race with a familiar front-running tactic on board AF Al Motamen in the silks of leading owner Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah.

That win took Oertel’s tally to 17 but he remained two behind leading trainer Doug Watson after the American scooped the concluding handicap for the thoroughbreds with Obeyaan.

Results

2.15pm: Al Marwan – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m

Winner: Majd Al Megirat, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Ali Al Ameri (trainer)

2.45pm: Al Marwan – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Taajer, Richard Mullen, Salem Al Ketbi

3.15pm: Al Marwan – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: AF Al Motamen, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

3.45pm: Al Marwan – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m

Winner: Makhtar, Richard Mullen, Salem Al Ketbi

4.15pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup presented by Al Marwan – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: AS Qoot, Pat Dobbs, Khalifa Al Neyadi

4.45pm: Al Marwan – Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Obeyaan, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson