Old Campaigner, Barbecue Eddie, Claims Second Victory Of The Season
The pre-race talk was all about the rivalry between AF Alghabra and Kandar Du Falgas, yet on the night it was Dariya who ran out the impressive winner of the Mazrat Al Ruwayah prep over 1,600m
Dariya beat Thakif to lead home a 1-2 for his owner HE Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and trainer Majed Al Jahouri.
Emirati jockey, Ahmed Ajtebi was in the saddle on the winner and said: “He is a very nice horse who has plenty of Group 1 form to his name so this was a big drop in class for him and it should do his confidence a lot of good.
"We have Areem in the National Day Cup on Sunday and hopefully he can go close as well."
The Group 2 Mazrat Al Ruwayah takes place on December 20, 2012.
On an evening sponsored by Al Basti Equiworld, owner HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum managed to go one better with a 1-2-3 in the 1,600m Conditions race, the best of the Thoroughbred contests.
It was a second course and distance win this season for the Doug Watson trainee, Barbecue Eddie, who was chased home by Tamaathul and Haatheq, both trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe. The owner’s retained jockey, Dane O’Neill picked right and was on the winner.
“He is just a great horse to have in the yard and has done us proud,” said Watson. “We were forced to miss the Godolphin Mile last year but that is where we will aim him again, via the Maktoum Challenge Round I and Super Saturday.”
Al Raihe may have been out of luck in that contest but he twice saddled a 1-2 on the card with Pat Cosgrave on Zain Shamaradal who just denied stable companion, Rochdale in the concluding 2,000m conditions race.
A smiling Cosgrave explained: “We travelled very strongly into the race and I thought we had it in the bag 200m out but they were closing on us late on so I was pleased to see the post.”
Royston Ffrench was in the saddle on Rochdale having earlier partnered Desert Of Dreams to beat stable companion, Latkhaf in the 1,200m maiden – becoming the first juvenile (2year old) to win at Meydan.
“He is a nice young horse,” said Ffrench. “He pleased us at Jebel Ali on his first start here and we will now look at the three-year-old races next year at the Dubai World Cup Carnival.”
Ganas is proving a great recruit to the UAE and won his second 1,200m handicap in great style under Tadhg O'Shea. Trained by Ernst Oertel for HH Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, he was able to overcome the widest draw of all from 14.
"He does not need to lead but there are not many that can lead him as he is so naturally quick," explained his jockey.
Erwan Charpy opened his account for the campaign with Sam Hitchcott seen at his very strongest to drive Furnace to a narrow victory in a 1,600m handicap.
Charpy said: "This horse has now won twice on the all-weather and he rarely runs a bad race. The fast early pace really helped him and the track is riding quick tonight and that suited also.
"He is not scared to battle and Sam gave him a great ride. It is nice to get off the mark for the season obviously."
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