Tadhg O’Shea continues fine form at Meydan

Mickael Barzalona rides double for Salem bin Ghadayer for 100th winner

Tadhg O’Shea on Remorse leads the first two home for trainer Bhupat Seemar in the Listed Entisar at Meydan on Friday, December 23, 2022. Photo: Adiyat Racing Plus

Tadhg O’Shea picked up his third Listed prize in two days as he clinched the featured race on board Bhupat Seemar-trained Remorse at Meydan on Friday.

Having lifted the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship for both the Purebred Arabians and thoroughbreds at the capital city the other night, the UAE champion jockey led the first two home for the Zabeel Stables in the Listed Entisar at the headquarters in Dubai.

Remorse took off approaching the 400-metre mark and ran on well to win from Bendoog under James Doyle in the seven-runner event run over the 2,000m trip.

“That was a perfect return and I rode him as if he was the best horse in the race and the small field probably helped him,” O’Shea said of the five-year-old Dubawi gelding.

“He was getting tired late on as you would expect but his class has seen him through.”

Mickael Barzalona reached the milestone 100th winner while celebrating a double for Emirati trainer Salem bin Ghadayer.

The France-based Godolphin jockey landed the second race atop Untold Secret before taking the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial on board Mimi Kakushi, a convincing winner in her third attempt after being placed fourth, over 1,200m and then this 1,400m in two starts.

“She has needed the experience in the past and she did that nicely,” Barzalona said of the two-year-old City Of Light filly.

“The extra 200m in the UAE 1000 Guineas will be a bonus but the 1,950m and UAE Oaks will really suit her.”

The seven-race card fixture had the first four Meydan turf races of the new campaign, including the opening race on the card - a 1,200m maiden and Adrie de Vries made every post a winning one aboard Rashed Bouresly’s Abshrek.

“This horse has a lot of natural speed and has improved with each start. The ground seemed pretty quick and he has really enjoyed it,” De Vries said.

Doug Watson also saddled two winners by taking the fourth race with Al Nayyir and the concluding maiden with newcomer Shirl’s Bee.

The 2,410m turf handicap was an absolute thriller, the lead changing hands on numerous occasions over the final 200m with Sam Hitchcott and Al Nayyir flying home over the final 175m to snatch victory by a neck over Seemar’s Bosphorus.

“I just did the steering but all fairness to the horse as we were in trouble in traffic a couple of times. He basically saved the day for both of us!” Hitchcock said of the four-year-old Dubawi gelding.

Pat Dobbs brought home Shirl’s Bee to complete the double for Watson to take his tally to 21 winners for the season, three more than the second-placed Ernst Oertel.

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor saddled his first winner of the season with his second runner on the card when Electrical Storm under Pat Cosgrave bagged the Nad Al Sheba Classic.

“He has always worked like a nice horse but has, perhaps, been a bit disappointing in the past. That is as far as he wants to go and he would cope with a drop in trip,” the winning jockey said.

Results

6pm: Arabian Radio Network – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Abshrek, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer)

6.35pm: Arabian Radio Network – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Untold Secret, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

7.10pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) Dh183,650 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Mimi Kakushi, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

7.45pm: Dubai Airports – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Al Nayyir, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson

8.20pm: The Entisar – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Remorse, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar

8.55pm: Nad Al Sheba Classic – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Electrical Storm, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor

9.30pm: Worlds Coolest Winter – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Shirl’s Bee, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson