Resounding win for AF Alwajel at Group 3 Al Ruwais in Abu Dhabi

Champion trainer Ernst Oertel sets sights on Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 for Purebred Arabians

AF Alwajel, ridden by Tadhg O'Shea, wins the Group 3 Al Ruwais Race in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Cedric Lane/ERA

Three-time UAE champion trainer Ernst Oertel has set the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 for Purebred Arabians as his target for AF Alwajel after a resounding win in the Group 3 Al Ruwais at Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Another top-notch local bred horse to come out of Emirati businessman Khalid Al Naboodah’s breeding programme, the six-year-old son of AF Al Buraq under Tadhg O’Shea came home five and-a-quarter lengths clear of Rawaa with Antonio Fresu in the saddle.

“I wasn’t to come here but take him to the Al Maktoum Challenge,” Oertel said.

“I didn’t prepare him well for that and we thought to bring him here and run him next in the Maktoum Challenge Round 3.”

AF Alwajel, who has now won six races and finished either second or third in five occasions from his 12 career starts, hasn’t raced beyond the 1,600-metre distance.

“This horse has the right mentality and I feel he can handle the 2,000m trip [in the Round-3] and this [1,400m] is the shortest he wants to go, but sometimes it’s a good gallop to get his speed up,” Oertel added.

Jean de Roualle’s Somoud in the silks of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed’s Yas Racing stayed on track for a narrow win over BF Mughader in the President’s Cup Prep race.

Richard Mullen produced Somoud with a familiar late challenge to take up the running 100m from the finishing line and just held on to victory from the fast finishing BF Mughader under O’Shea by a short head.

“The race probably didn’t go to plan,” Mullen said. “My fella needs an out-and-out gallop up front and unfortunately it hasn’t been happening. I just had to be patient and just try to get out and get going earlier than I wanted to.

“I committed early and I could see someone coming down my neck. Nevertheless, he’s a smart horse and had to give weight all round for the success tonight. I know Jean has the President’s Cup in mind.”

De Roualle added: “There was no pace tonight and that’s not the kind of race for Somoud. If there was good pace, he could have relaxed and gather his turn of foot.

“I’m also careful about treating the prep race, as a prep race. I told Richie not to hit him too much. If he wins he wins, if he was beaten, not a problem. He still won and now we are looking forward for the big race.”

De Roualle celebrated his second win on the night when Curatolo brought home Harrab half hour later, also in the silks of Yas Racing.

Abdallah Al Hammadi’s Hameem under Adrie de Vries took the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club Gold Cup to stretch winning streak to four from four.