Clement Lecoeuvre breaks UAE duck after guiding Blue Sovereign to win at Jebel Ali

Erwan Charpy and his new stable jockey celebrated their first success of the season

Tadhg O’Shea guides Karaginsky to victory at the Jebel Ali racecourse. Courtesy Emirates Racing Authority

Erwan Charpy and his new stable jockey Clement Lecoeuvre celebrated their first success of the season by scooping the feature prize of the seven-race card meeting at Jebel Ali on Friday.

Lecoeuvre riding in his first season in the UAE broke his duck at the ninth attempt, guiding Blue Sovereign to victory over Satish Seemar’s Lady Snazz by a neck in the conditions race over the 1,950-metre trip.

“I am very happy to win my first race in the UAE and the horse run a very good race today,” Lecoeuvre said.

Charpy, one of the longest-serving trainers in the country with 543 winners in the UAE prior to his first winner of the season, added: “He won a long-distance race in Al Ain in February and we were hopeful.

“It was a clever piece of work from Clement. He did the right thing today because there was no pace in the race so he decided to dictate and the horse responded well.

“It was Clement’s first winner in the UAE and I think there’ll be many more to come for him.”

The UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea completed a double at the meeting for the UAE champion trainer Seemar.

O’Shea made all on Karaginsky to win the second race from stable companion Cachao under Irish apprentice Nathan Crosse by three-quarter-length.

He then rode a similar race to take the sixth race on board Bladesmith from Rougher and Insaan.

“His [Karaginsky’s] intended run was three weeks ago but he pulled out a shoe after a gallop and was a little bit sore,” O’Shea said of the five-year-old Dubawi gelding.

“Then we had to wait and he couldn’t get into a race in another intended run and frankly it all came together today.

“He broke his maiden [February 2019] over a mile and very good placed efforts since then. It was a good effort in a very competitive race.”

Bladesmith was winning his first race in six attempts and Seemar said success was overdue for the horse as well as the owner Hakim Abdalla.

“The owner of this horse has been with loyal to me for around eight-nine years and this is his first win,” the Zabeel Stables trainer said.

“It is a well deserving success for him for the patience he has had until this moment and I’m very happy for him.

“The horse of course has run consistently well. He’s finished runner up twice and finished third and fourth in two other starts. He deserved to win today.”