Saturday, Mar 01, 2014
Abu Dhabi: The Majed Al Jahouri-trained Rakha bids to win the Group 1 Liwa Oasis for a second successive year at Abu Dhabi Racecourse on Sunday.
Royston Ffrench takes the ride aboard the six-year-old Arabian who was last seen in a dead-heat with Sha’Red in the Group 3 Al Ruwais.
Al Jahouri also saddles Areem, winner of the last two National Day Cups at Abu Dhabi over 1600m, and Sardan, who was fifth in the Al Ruwais.
Al Jahouri said: “Areem loves it around Abu Dhabi and it was always the plan to go National Day Cup, Al Maktoum Challenge I and the Liwa Oasis. He won the National Day Cup well but things did not really go to plan in the Al Maktoum Challenge.
“The return to Abu Dhabi and turf will suit him and these are also Rakha’s ideal conditions, while Sardan will definitely appreciate the step up to 1400m.
“All three should run well.”
Champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea rides Wycked for champion trainer, Ernst Oertel. The pair ran on strong to finish second in the Al Ruwais.
O’Shea said: “We had a bad draw that day and she did well to get as close as she did and, in a few more strides, we may well have won. This is a strong race obviously but Ernst’s horses remain in good form and she should run a nice race.”
The main support race is the third and final round of the Arabian Triple Crown, a 2400m contest restricted to four-year-olds.
The Oertel/O’Shea combination will be looking for Nymphea Du Paon to compensate for her disqualification in the opening round.
However, she bounced back to land last week’s 2200m Group 3 middle round of the Triple Crown in style.
She is penalised but being a Group 2 winner in her native France, she looks hard to beat.
O’Shea explained: “She stayed the 2200m well last week and was not stopping at the line so hopefully she will stay the extra 200m. Coming back, over slightly further, just a week later is perhaps a concern but she is a very good filly.”
Stable companion Molahen El Alhan made all in last Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Colts’ Classic and could well be the main danger to O’Shea’s mount although he too has a penalty.
The Yousuf Al Bloushi-trained Haanoof, third behind Nymphea Du Paon last week, looks the best of the rest with jockey Andrew Nienaber seeking a second UAE winner.
Nienaber’s mount is owned by Shaikh Mansour, as is Al Jahouri’s representative, Mubasher, the mount of Harry Bentley and just behind Haanoof in fourth last week.
Staff Report
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