Vintage win for Terrific Challenge

Satish Seemar's ward lives up to his name at Jebel Ali Racecourse, claiming the Dh120,000 Jebel Ali Sprint Prep by half-a-length.

DUBAI // Satish Seemar's Terrific Challenge lived up to his name at Jebel Ali Racecourse yesterday, claiming the Dh120,000 Jebel Ali Sprint Prep by half-a-length. Ridden by Richard Mullen, the 2007 Mahab al Shamal winner, held off Mannjal, ridden by William Buick, and will now head for the third and final listed race at the track. "Five furlongs is his best distance," said Seemar.

"He has had some wind problems but when he is having a good day he is strong. Richard said he felt good at the start and knew he would put in a good run." With four wins from four runs, the Purebred Arabian AF Alghabra has done the trainer Gillian Duffield proud. The mare won the HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid UAE Breeders Society Challenge from stablemate AS Mushrif by a neck. Owned by Khalid al Nabooda, AF Alghabra showed the boys the way as she contested her first nine-furlong outing.

"She's a lovely mare and certainly got that trip," said Duffield, who goes into tomorrow's Abu Dhabi meeting at the top of the Purebred Arabian trainers' table with 18 wins. "I always knew she was classy but I was confident Mushrif would have a good run. I wouldn't have been shocked if he'd won." And Tadhg O'Shea, the winning jockey, is also fan of the horse. "She's a real sweetheart," he said. "It's a shame there's not more races for her, but we won't be greedy. If we get her out once a year and she has four wins from four runs then we can't complain."

Bur Dubai won the Commercial Bank of Dubai for Doug Watson while Erwan Charpy took the Romeo Design with Satwa Street. Musabah al Muhairi's Swinging Sixties claimed the Emirates NBD and Step in Line, trained by Abdullah bin Huzaim, was the easy victor of the Frayland Handicap under Carlos Sandoval. @Email:[e-mail]