Rivals may not be good as Gold

The trainer Eric Lemartinel has fancied runners in the first three races tonight.

ABU DHABI // Emirates Gold's connections are hoping it will be third time lucky as he heads to the capital for tonight's solitary prize for thoroughbreds in the mixed six-race card at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. The son of Royal Applause was denied a win at the National Day Cup earlier this month when bea-ten by Jaasoos on his reappearance in the Listed event over the same course and distance.

He followed it up by running a close fifth to Ibn Battuta in the President's Cup. He ran into traffic on his first outing, over the seven-furlong distance, and finished strongly over tonight's trip of a mile in the last start. The trainer-jockey combination of Erwan Charpy and Pat Smullen have to be well fancied to get his head in front in the Al Mina, a handicap rated 75-100. The main threats are likely to be Law Lord, from the in-form Jebel Ali Stables, Palm Court and ano-ther Charpy entry, Tawaassol.

Law Lord ran an encouraging first race in more than 15 months to finish second behind stablemate Otaared in the Listed Jebel Ali Stakes more than two weeks ago. Tawaassol is the choice of Richard Hills, the retained jockey for the owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, but will have to improve on his three starts. Palm Court has had a busy season and, with a victory under his belt in his last start more than a month back, seems well treated in the weights in his bid to steal the prize for the in-form trainer-jockey combination of Ali Rashid al Raihe and Royston Ffrench.

The evening's programme may be a favourable one for the Abu Dhabi-based trainer Eric Lemartinel. He can make a sweep of the first three prizes for the Purebred Arabians with AS Raid, AF Maqam Alezz and Sharkasi. AS Raid was impressive on his reappearance behind Hamamat al Salam but a slow start in his next outing saw him come fifth to GRP Baghdad. He finished strongly on that occasion and a better start should see him get close in the opener under the Bahrain-based jockey Gerald Avranche.

AF Maqam Alezz is seeking a hat-trick under the French apprentice Wencelas Walter half-an-hour later in what looks like a pretty open handicap with Ektimaal, Shoof Elajab and King Kreak as the main challenges. Avranche can complete a double by claiming the next race, the Al Wathba Stud Farm prize for maidens, on Sharkasi, who should benefit from two starts. The final two races on the card are over 11 furlongs, and the second last looks the more competitive with four Sheikh Hamdan entries spearheaded by Ejaabi, the choice of Hills.

Ejaabi was an impressive winner last time out over the course and distance, while Shibl, the mount of Tadhg O'Shea, won three of his four races in the United Kingdom and should go close. Satish Seemar's Muzoon De Faust is a leading contender in the concluding race, and a repeat of her last run could see her bag the prize for the mares. [e-mail]