DUBAI // As he goes into his first winter campaign as the No 2 jockey for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, Tadhg O'Shea knows he has a window of opportunity to really prove himself with the stable's No 1, Richard Hills, not arriving in the country until the new year.
"It was important for me to have a good first summer for Sheikh Hamdan," said O'Shea. "Sheikh Hamdan has lots of nice horses and Richard can't be at every meeting.
"I was lucky enough to ride some very good horses and got two nice winners."
O'Shea, 27, snapped up the coveted Sheikh Hamdan job when the owner's racing manager, Angus Gold, approached him to step in for the departing Martin Dwyer.
"Angus asked me if I would be interested in being Sheikh Hamdan's second jockey and, of course, it took me all of a split second to decide that I was very interested," he said.
The rider had been moderately successful in the familiar navy blue jacket with white epaulets of the Dubai-based owner before his first major achievement as an employee came on one of England's biggest racing stages - June's Royal Ascot meeting.
Ouqba, trained by Hills' father Barry, came home first for O'Shea despite disappointing in the Group One 2,000 Guineas at the start of the season.
Eventhough the three-year-old appeared to lose focus in the first half of the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, he was driven on by his jockey and, as the finishing post got closer, he reeled in runner-up Deposer to win by half a length.
On that day Hills had opted for Sheikh Hamdan's promising handicap winner Infiraad, also trained by Hills Snr, but the horse never really found his stride and finished last.
"To come to Royal Ascot and to ride a winner for Sheikh Hamdan is a day I won't forget for a long time," O'Shea said at the time.
A month later, O'Shea once again made racing headlines for Sheikh Hamdan on Finjaan, a runner from Marcus Tregoning's yard, when he claimed the Group Two Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
The horse, another unplaced 2,000 Guineas contender, overcame his trainer's bad luck, which saw his yard closed for two months due to an equine illness, to hold off the accomplished sprinter Balthazaar's Gift, trained in the UAE last season by Rod Simpson.
It was those two wins that landed him a job with Sheikh Hamdan which now see him entering into friendly competition within the yard with Hills.
"Richard has been very good to me," said the O'Shea, a consistent top-five finisher in the UAE jockeys' championship table.
"He has given me plenty of advice when it comes to riding new horses and what he has said has been a massive help to be honest."
As O'Shea contemplates the fourth race weekend of the season, at Jebel Ali after the Eid break, he will do so in good spirit after taking an early second-place on the jockeys' championship leaderboard.
It is too early to get over-excited but the rider is pleased with his start.
With seven winners, he is just one victory behind Musabah al Muhairi's stable jockey, Wayne Smith.
"I know it's important to win but I have to take it one race at a time," said O'Shea, who under the terms of his deal is free to pick up rides for another owner if Sheikh Hamdan is not represented in a contest.
"I have been coming to Dubai to ride for seven years and the closest I've got to winning the championship was in the 2007/8 season when I came second by one winner to Ted Durcan.
"Of course I would love to win it, but I'm keeping my focus on what I have to do in each race and doing my best to ride as many winners as possible. If I'm within reach of the championship with a few weeks to go then I'll be very happy and I can focus on that.
"It's just great to be in a position to ride these nice horses and obviously the goal is to win races."
@Email:stregoning@thenational.ae
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
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SPECS
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Company%20Profile
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The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0
De Bruyne (70')
Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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