A Victory for Local Trainers

The Grand Stand-based trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe, who saddled Al Shemali under Royston Ffrench to win the $5m Dubai Duty Free, claimed the trainers’ championship for the first time. Al Raihe finished top of the table with 28 wins, two ahead of defending champion Doug Watson and four in front of the Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor.

“I’m truly obliged to His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and and Ruler of Dubai,” said the former camel trainer.

“I hope we will be able to build on this success. It’s something very special when you win such a big race on such a big night,” he added.

Godolphin’s newly appointed second trainer Mahmoud Al Zarouni started his new assignment in great style. He sent Calming Influence to retain the Godolphin Mile Gr-2 for the Royal Stables early in the evening under Ahmed Ajtebi. However, the young jockey was about to rewrite the history of the world’s richest horse race Dubai World Cup to add to his last year’s two Group-1 races on the Cup’s night. Ajtebi partnered Gladiatorus to win the $5m Dubai Duty Free and less than an hour later landed the $5m Dubai Sheema Classic aboard Eastern Anthem.

With his eyes focused on the $10m Dubai World Cup, Ajtebi was only unlucky to see his effort astride Allybar a nose and a short-head away from the big dream in a pulsating finish to the world’s richest race.

Allybar, the mount of Ahmed Ajtebi and trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni, finished third in the 10-furlong contest on Tapeta as Gloria De Campeao took the field along.

Allybar was fifth on the inside from stall one and moved up to third turning for home but had no room to challenge entering the straight. He ran on well from a furlong and a half out when a gap appeared and just failed to catch the winner Gloria De Campeao and the second Lizard’s Desire in a relatively slow winning time of 2m 3.83s.

Mahmood Al Zarooni said: “I am very happy. I am new to the job and we won the Godolphin Mile with Calming Influence and Allybar has got beaten by a very small margin in the Dubai World Cup. I thought Allybar would have won if he had found the gap earlier; maybe anyway.”

Ahmed Ajtebi added: “I was unlucky with my draw. Allybar is a horse who does not like taking gaps. Last time out in the Maktoum Challenge, I went on the inside to the rail and got beat in fourth by one length.

“The same thing happened on Saturday - a bad draw and I have to stay on the inside. I find a gap easily and he is a little bit soft-hearted. If he had taken the gap the minute I asked him, then I may have won.”

hisham@khaleejtimes.com