ABU DHABI // RB Burn lived up to his top billing on Sunday by running away an impressive winner of the Dh500,000 Group 1 Liwa Oasis in the capital’s penultimate race meeting.
Gerald Avranche rode him confidently from a wide gate draw over the 1,400-metre trip and the five-year-old responded.
Avranche was forced to keep his mount wide as he struggled to find an opening from behind a wall of horses in the early part of the race.
He moved from wide outside to draw along Ain Jaloot who led on the home stretch under Fernando Jara followed by AF Maqayes with Tadhg O’Shea atop.
Once on the clear, RB Burn exploded past his rivals from the centre of the track and was eased by Avranche before crossing the finishing line to win by a length and-a-half.
“He’s a hold-up horse and the most important was to have him covered from the beginning,” Avranche said.
“However, having done that, I didn’t find see an opening coming, and had to take him around the horses in front. He had a lot of speed but I had to give him a couple of reminders as he’s not run for a long time. He did nicely at the end.”
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Trainer Eric Lemartinel has the Dubai Kahayla Classic, the traditional opener of the Dubai World Cup card, as RB Burn’s next objective.
“He’s been off the track for more than two months and we thought of giving him a run over this shorter distance to get him ready for the Kahayla in three weeks,” he said.
“He handles any distance from 1,400m to 2,000m and is versatile, he can handle both the turf and the dirt.”
RB Burn triumphed in his first local start when winning the €1.2 million (Dh4.68m) Group 1 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown, the world’s richest race for Purebred Arabians in Abu Dhabi’s second meeting on November 13.
He lost in his next start to 2016 Dubai Kahayla Classic winner AF Mathmoon in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 two months ago.
Al Zahir was another to make an impact in his first local start in the popular silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid.
The chestnut colt by Madjani, a three-time winner of the Kahayla Classic, strode majestically under British champion jockey Jim Crowley to win the Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown by two and three-quarter-lengths.
“His first run since arriving from France. He’s shown all the right signals at home and been going nicely,” Crowley said.
“Sheikh Hamdan thinks quite a bit of this horse. He’s got a lovely attitude, and the good thing about him is that he’s got good speed and for an Arabian it’s important.”
Richard Mullen took the opener on Ernst Oertel-trained AF Makerah and the concluding handicap for the thoroughbreds onboard Satish Seemar’s Taaj to take his tally to 45, two in front of O’Shea in the UAE Jockey’s Championship race.
Harry Bentley on Munaaf got up on the last couple of strides to pip AF Hakeem with George Buckle atop to the post half-hour later.
Maria Ritchie saddled her first winner since taking charge of the Oasis Stables of Musabah Al Muhairi, who is serving a 12-month ban from the Emirates Racing Authority after pleading guilty for using a prohibited substance on one of his horses.
Results:
5pm: Sadeem Maiden (Dh80,000)
Winner: AF Makerah, Richard Mullen (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Bateen Handicap (Dh80,000)
Winner: Munaaf, Harry Bentley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6pm: Liwa Oasis Group 1 (Dh500,000)
Winner: RB Burn, Gerald Avranche, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (Dh300,000)
Winner: Al Zahir, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
7pm: Wathba Stud Farm Cup Handicap (Dh70,000)
Winner: AF Ssayeb, Fernando Jara, Maria Ritchie
7.30pm: Ghantoot Handicap (Dh100,000)
Winner: Taaj, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
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