Seemar saddles splendid double at Jebel Ali Racecourse

Sefri, ridden by Paul Hanagan, won the feature race at the Jebel Ali Racecourse on Friday.

 Former champion trainer Satish Seemar saddled a splendid double in the fifth and final race of the year at the hilly track and a great ride by Paul Hanagan brought Sefri home in the feature race of the afternoon at the Jebel Ali Racecourse on Friday.
Trained by Erwan Charpy at the Green Stables, Sefri did everything right under former British champion Hanagan to reverse places with early conquerors and win the 1,800m Shadwell-sponsored TB Rated Conditions Jebel Ali Stakes Prep for the sponsor of the race Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance.
"Serfi has been working very well at home after his third finish behind most of today's opponents over course and distance last weekend," said the Green Stables handler Erwan Charpy. "He is an honest and improving horse and there's more to come from him," the Frenchman added.
The five-year-old son of Belmont Stakes hero Jazil raced from the centre of the track and he was always going well.
"He responded keenly when I have asked him to improve up the hill," noted the winning jockey Paul Hanagan who has completed a double in the fifth race with Banaadeer for the same owner, Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and trainer Doug Watson.
Early in the afternoon, Seemar claimed his first win of the day with Sky Jockey who came from a mile away under the strong drive of the stables' retained jockey Richard Mullen to win it from fast-finishing Tobaco in the hands of Patrich Dobbs and behind them came Mountain Lion, while early leader Expo20 was relegated to fourth.
Mullen had already teamed up with trainer Abdallah Al Hamadi to win the Purebred Arabian opening race on the card astride Balad Al Reef.
The Red Stables handler Doug Watson extended his lead with a decisive victory in the fourth race. Top weight Busatto, ridden by Patrick Dobbs, broke nicely and led from the word go to open more than three lengths gap from the rest of the field when it mattered to emerge the easiest of the winners across the line in the 1,800m TB Handicap fourth race on the card.
Satish Seemar completed a double in the final race, a 1200m TB Handicap.
hisham@khaleejtimes.com