ABU DHABI // Nieshan underlined his credentials as a Dubai Kahayla Classic contender with a thrilling victory in The President of the UAE Cup last night.
The six year old kicked for home from 200 metres out to beat Seraphin Du Paon, the favourite and defending champion, by a neck at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
He is now being lined up for another crack at the traditional curtain-raiser to the Dubai World Cup card after claiming the biggest win of his career in the Dh1 million Group 1 contest.
"I was confident he will win," Ali Haddad, his owner, said.
"It doesn't surprise me because he has never run a bad race . The plan for Nieshan is to run him in the two remaining big races, the Maktoum Challenge Round 3, which is a trial for the Dubai Kahayla Classic. Obviously I will have a word with the trainer Eric [Lemartinel], but the plans are clear."
Nieshan, was the runner up in the Dubai Kahayla Classic and third in this race last season, both times behind Seraphin Du Paon, who was ridden by Mirco Demuro last night.
He had run four times before winning his previous outing, the Wathba Stud Farm Cup, a Conditions race over the course and distance.
"Eric told me he wanted to give him a run in an easy race because he was not 100 per cent and I think that not only got him fitter but gave the horse confidence," Gerald Avranche, his jockey, said.
Sahib Du Clos ridden by Royston Ffrench was third ahead of Timadit Al Mels (Tadhg O'Shea) and Rabah De Carrere (Ted Durcan), with three lengths separating the first five in the Group 1 race over 2,200 metres.
"The pace was slow and he was very keen," Avranche said. "I got a bit worried that he would get tired in the last 300 metres, but he proved his class of a really good horse by staying on strongly until the end."
Ernst Oertel, the trainer for Seraphin Du Paon was disappointed and blamed the lack of a pacemaker in the race costing his horse first place.
"I am very disappointed but he ran a good race," said the South African.
"I wanted to use a pacemaker but they said not to. And in my opinion we should have used a pacemaker because it was a slow time.
"In a fast race we will see when we meet again. He was kept in the rails and he did brilliantly from where he was but we didn't have the luck today. We are going to sit down and rethink of his plans."
Thakif, a four-year-old chestnut colt, made all the running to win the main supporting Group 3 race.
"He has now won two of his three races and we will now get a rest," said Majed Al Jahouri, the trainer.
"He is still young and we expect better things from him next season."
Demuro had begun the evening with a quick double, winning the first two races on the Oertel's Manisha and Meshwar for the Emirati trainer Hassan Saleh Al Hammadi.
But last year's Dubai World Cup-winning jockey found Nieshan too good for his mount in the feature race.
apassela@thenational.ae
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