Tadhg O’Shea hopes to consolidate lead in jockey’s championship

Irishman says 11th title would mean a lot as he prepares for busy weekend

Tadhg O’Shea on AF Alajaj won the Group 2 Liwa Oasis at Abu Dhabi on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Photo: Adiyat Racing Plus

Tadhg O’Shea returns to the capital’s racecourse after last week’s record-breaking five wins in six races.

The 10-time champion and all-time leading jockey with 723 winners in the UAE will be looking to consolidate his lead in the season’s standings with six rides in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The Irishman is booked on Emirati trainer Helal Al Alawi’s purebred Arabian Idylik El Alhem in the opening race, and Ernst Oertel’s AF Rami, AF Yenomes, AF Bareeq, and AF Ghayyar, all in the silks of Khaled Khalifa Al Naboodah.

He is onboard Ismail Mohammed’s Nibras Passion in the concluding handicap and only thoroughbred race in the card, which has drawn the maximum 14 runners.

Nibras Passion made a winning debut in Abu Dhabi in a maiden two years back. However, since then hasn’t had any success in his last 12 starts.

The five year old Iffraaj gelding was a third in his last start in a turf handicap at Meydan and prior to that was placed second and fourth in Abu Dhabi.

“He’s a nice spare ride to get. He’s quite a keen horse. Hopefully he settles well. He’s got course-winning form. It’s my first time riding him and I’m really looking forward to it,” O’Shea told The National.

“He actually beat a very good horse of Zabeel Stables, Discovery Island, when he won his maiden. If he can reproduce that form, he will be bang there.

“I have some nice rides for Mr Al Naboodah and if I can put one or two on the board, it would be another good night to follow-up the five winners last week.

“It was very good to do it. I didn’t know I‘d ride five winners. It was a very good night and one that will live long in my memory.”

O’Shea is on 53 winners for the season, 11 ahead of his closest challenger Antonio Fresu in the UAE jockey’s championship race and the champion believes the four meetings – Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Jebel Ali and Sharjah – across four days at will give a clear picture of the championship title.

“I’m in every race over the four days and we’ll have a very good idea at the end of this weekend of the positions the jockeys, trainers and owners on their likely chances of getting to the top,” he said.

“Fingers crossed, we have a few winners to keep going forward. An 11th jockey’s title would be amazing but we still have a bit to go.

“It would have been closer if I didn’t lose my mother [last month]. I went back home to see her when she was ill and also missed seven meetings due to suspensions. This would obviously mean a lot more than the other 10 [jockey’s titles] if I can win it again.”