The UAE trainer’s championship could be decided in three meetings over three days beginning with Friday’s six-race card at Al Ain.
Sharjah on Saturday and Abu Dhabi on Sunday are the two other venues, and by then Ernst Oertel may well have taken an unassailable lead to clinch the title for a second successive season.
The South African has 38 winners, of which 31 are Purebred Arabians, and with plenty of races for the breed before the season ends, it would be hard for Musabah Al Muhairi, his nearest challenger, to strike a blow.
Al Muhairi – with 32 winners – has more thoroughbreds in his stables and with four of the remaining six meetings predominantly for the Arabians, Oertel holds the upper hand over the Emirati.
Oertel has 10 runners entered across four races, including a thoroughbred, at Al Ain today, seven across three races at Sharjah and 10 in four races at Abu Dhabi.
Al Muhairi has only three runners entered in two races at Al Ain, 10 at Sharjah in three races and none at Abu Dhabi.
The owner’s and jockey’s title races also look to be as good as over.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, has 41 winners, 10 more than Sheikh Khalifa, the President of the UAE.
Jockey Tadhg O’Shea has ridden 32 winners and the defending champion is 12 ahead of Richard Mullen (20). Then comes Royston Ffrench with 19 and Paul Hanagan and Silvestre De Sousa, both have 18 winners.
apassela@thenational.ae
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