Trainer Majed Al Jahouri enjoyed a career-best campaign last season. He saddled a winner in Abu Dhabi’s opening meeting and racked up 14 winners, including five Group 1 prizes for the Purebred Arabians.
The Emirati has yet to saddle a winner in 19 starts this season, but he can get off the mark by cashing in on the top two prizes on offer this weekend at Meydan Racecourse for the Arabians.
Al Jahouri has entered a quartet in Thursday’s Dh125,000 Mazrat Al Ruwayah Prep, a conditions race for the Arabians over 1,600 metres. He has four more lined up for the Group 1 National Day Cup, including the defending champion Areem, in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
“The objective this season is to win some of the prestigious prizes in the country for the Purebred Arabians,” Al Jahouri said.
“The majority of the Arabians in the stables are rated 90 and above, and I can’t find suitable races for them to run early in the season, so most of them will have to go directly for the big races.”
Al Jahouri has 23 horses in training, including four thoroughbreds, for his principal owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed.
Tonight he looks for his first winner of the season from the trio Thakif, Laamma and Awam, with Duzar the long-shot at Meydan’s opener, the most valuable race in the six-race card.
“Thakif has had the benefit of a run, and both Laamma and Awam, perhaps, may need the outing, but they go well fresh, though,” Al Jahouri said.
Thakif was fourth behind Sahib Du Clos in the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup in Abu Dhabi’s opening meeting on November 10.
The five-year-old chestnut son of Mahabb was second to stable mate Dariya in Mazrat Al Ruwayah Prep and third to Quite Al Show in the Group 2 race two weeks later. Laamma won the Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown Round 2 over 2,200m from Shayel Aldhabi in his UAE debut last season.
Shayel Aldhabi has since franked that form with an impressive victory in the National Day Cup Prep three weeks ago.
Awam made a promising UAE debut to finish third behind Albar Lotois in the Group 1 Maktoum Challenge Round 3 but was disappointing in his next two starts.
“It is a strong field and my horses are not 100 per cent, as it is still early into the season, but we are hopeful one of them can emerge victorious for us,” Al Jahouri said.
Najm Alemarat carries the hopes of Ernst Oertel, the UAE champion trainer, who has had a flying start to the season with 11 winners.
Takaamul, trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe, Omar Daraj’s TM Super Bird and Eric Lemratinel’s Bigg N Rich are others with a chance.
Al Raihe has a good chance of visiting the winner’s enclosure with Bravo Ragazzo, Maraheb and Sharayeen from the remaining five races for the thoroughbreds.
Musabah Al Muhairi can strike with newcomer Shaishee in the second, and Oertel’s Brazen can better his UAE debut of fourth behind Innocuous in the fourth race.
Tonight
6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah Prep 1,600m Dh125,000
7.05pm Main 1,600m Dh65,000
7.40pm Handicap (65-80) 1,600m Dh75,000
8.15pm Handicap (75-90) 1,200m Dh90,000
8.50pm Handicap (82-96) 1,400m Dh105,000
9.25pm Handicap (82-96) 1,900m Dh105,000
apassela@thenational.ae