Pilgrim's Treasure gives Satish Seemar a boost ahead of Dubai World Cup

Trainer pleased with victory in final Meydan event before March 31's showcase event, with his entry for the day's action announced.

Pilgrim's Treasure, right, was a victor at Meydan on Thursday. Erika Rasmussen for The National

Satish Seemar saddled a double to take his tally to 33 winners for the season after Adrie de Vries rode Pilgrim’s Treasure to victory in the third race and Antonio Fresu on Cachao took the concluding handicap at Meydan on Thursday.

However, the bigger picture for Seemar is the Dubai World Cup meeting on March 31 in which he has five runners across four races, including North American in the featured US$10million (Dh36.7m) race.

Seemar revealed Reynaldothewizard in the Golden Shaheen, Yulong Warrior in the UAE Derby, and both Secret Ambition and Raven’s Corner in the Godolphin Mile, as his other runners.

“This probably is the strongest team we have had for the big day in Dubai,” said Seemar who has completed a quarter century as the Zabeel Stables trainer in Dubai.

________________

Read more

_______________

“I also think a couple of them have solid chances. I’m not being biased but people outside are talking about them. It’s going to be very exciting for me and my team.”

Pilgrim’s Treasure was winning for the first time in six local starts and Seemar insisted it had been coming after he had prevailed in the 1,400m race which was the fourth event of the night.

“This horse has always been in our sights but he’s taken his time,” he said. “He will be even better next season. It was nice to get that win for the owner (Ailan Al Mehairi). It takes the pressure off from one of my owners.”

Meanwhile Jim Crowley and Doug Watson, the jockey-trainer combination, enjoyed two victories on the night.

Crowley picked Almanaara as a Dubai World Cup Carnival prospect after he charged home to an impressive victory over the 1,200m distance in the second race of the night.

Blazing out of Gate 1, Crowley took the shortest way home to win by more than seven lengths from Ajraam under Fernando Jara.

“We always had high regards for him and tonight it all worked out well,” said Crowley of the five-year-old grey.

“It’s nice because he’s got a good pedigree and hopefully he’ll become a nice Carnival horse next year.

“The draw was favourable for him because sometimes when you are draw wide all the time it becomes a hard race to get into a good position. Tonight it was sweet. He went out nicely. He got the size and the scope to develop further.”

The opening race was marred by a fall involving jockeys Pat Dobbs and Brett Doyle and their horses The Jinad and More To Come.

Dobbs and Doyle walked off the track but they missed their remaining rides as they were taken for precautionary checks.

The Rashed Al Bouresly-trained Dubawi’s Thunder with Bernardo Pinheiro atop won the opener from Cranesbill under Antonio Fresu and Cape Of Eagles ridden by Adrie de Vries.

Doyle aboard The Jinad led before falling at the 800m marker, bringing down More To Come and Dobbs. Zeed Alaihum, who was behind the pair, unseated Jesus Rosales while trying to avoid the incident.

Bouresly said his horse has reached the peak after running eight times in the season.

“But unfortunately the season has come to an end,” he said. “We’ll see how he’s come out of this race and run him at Jebel Ali next Friday when he’s in this kind of form.”

Xavier Ziani also rode a double for two different trainers. He made all the running on Salem bin Ghadayer’s Gundogdu in the third race and replicated that victory aboard Omar Daraj’s Tailor’s Row in the penultimate race.