Oertel aims to close gap on Al Muhairi

Race to be UAE's top trainer still up in the air

Nymphea Du Paon is one of three horses Ernst Oertel is expected to saddle in the first round of the Arabian Triple Crown on Sunday. Ravindranath K / The National

ABU DHABI // The topsy-turvy tussle to be this season’s champion trainer will likely take another turn on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

After Musabah Al Muhairi racked up four winners at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday to extend his lead to five in the trainer’s title race, it is the turn of his nearest challenger, Ernst Oertel, to try to close in on him with his Purebred Arabians.

Al Muhairi saddled 16 runners that were spread across the six races in Thursday’s meeting, and now Oertel has 14 entered in five of the six races on Sunday night at the capital’s racecourse, while his rival has just four.

The Al Asayl Stables trainer has three going in the featured race, the Arabian Triple Crown Round 1 for three-year-old Arabians at 6pm.

Nymphea Du Paon, winner of the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship, spearheads the South African’s challenge along with the runner-up in that race, Burj Khalifa, and Molahen El Alhan, second in the Abu Dhabi Colts’ Classic in his most recent start.

Adrie de Vries, who rode Nymphea Du Paon in the absence of suspended stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea, partners Molahen El Alhan while James Doyle is onboard the filly. Apprentice Noel Garbutt is on Burj Khalifa.

“All three in this race are nice horses and I won well on Nymphea Du Paon last time, while Molahen El Alhan ran a good race in defeat on the same card. There should be little between them,” De Vries said.

“It is a great opportunity to ride these good Purebred Arabian horses, but obviously you have to feel sorry for Tadhg.”

O’Shea is serving a five-meeting ban for careless riding. He can return to action after Thursday’s meeting at Meydan.

Molahen El Alhan chased home Af Al Hazer in his last start, and the Ibrahim Al Hadhrami-trained runner looks a big danger under Royston Ffrench.

“He has done absolutely nothing wrong, winning all three career starts, and we have to be hopeful of another big run,” Ffrench said.

Eric Lemartinel has entered Swwing and Major, second and fourth respectively behind Nymphea Du Paon two weeks ago.

Oertel is scheduled to send out Al Anid and Mahdi in the opener, a maiden, in which Jameel Salman’s Live Rich looks the pick of the 14 runners.

Wycked seems to have a good chance to win for Oertel a half-hour later, while Najm Alemarat and Gali Rich, in the fourth race, face a stiff challenge from the Emirati trainer Majed Al Jahouri’s quartet of Awam, Laamma, Merzal and Aakif.

Malekov represents Oertel in the solitary race for thoroughbreds, the concluding 2,400-metre handicap. The five-year-old gelded son of Dansili was unplaced on his Emirates debut behind Udabaa on December 15.

Udabaa, who is looking for a third win of the season, is one of the three entries for Doug Watson. Mantoba and Dr Faustus, first and third on this card 12 months ago in a 2,200m handicap, are the other two runners.

Kieren Fallon retains his ride on Mantoba, with Pat Dobbs on Dr Faustus. Paul Hanagan, the retained jockey of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, will ride onboard Udabaa.

“All three are going well at home, but the draw could have been kinder for Dr Faustus, in particular,” Watson said.

“Udabaa won well last time and Mantoba goes well at Abu Dhabi, so we have to be hopeful in a wide open looking race.”

Inthar, trained by Satish Seemar and the ride of Richard Mullen, is another who won on his most recent start, over 2,200m on this course three weeks ago, while Al Muhairi saddles Rasmy, the mount of Dane O’Neill.