The Treble Jig roadshow continued unabated this afternoon (Friday) as the hugely popular star landed the newly-upgraded Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile at the uphill track under jockey, Wayne Smith.
Treble Jig's love affair with Jebel Ali now runs to five wins from five course starts and this time, as last year, he was chased home by the gallant Haatheq, who sported the colours of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The entire card at the Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum-owned racecourse was sponsored by Shadwell.
As usual, stable jockey, Wayne Smith was riding Treble Jig for his main employer, Musabah Al Muhairi and the pair took up the running at about 900m and powered all the way to the line – breaking a track record set in 2001 in the process. The Firebreak Stakes at Meydan could now be a target for Treble Jig.
Smith, who then went on to complete a treble and a four-timer for Al Muhairi said: “Most of our horses seem to like it here at Jebel Ali but this fellow is just amazing. He is a different horse here with the surface and steep hill so much to his liking. We wound the tempo up throughout the straight and when he sensed the runner-up trying to challenge he just kept pulling out more.
“He is a star and we will look at Meydan now and then maybe even bring him back here for the Jebel Ali Sprint as he has so much natural speed.”
Treble Jig is the only horse to win both this race and the Jebel Ali Stakes, which he has now done two years running, as well as being the only horse to win two Jebel Ali Stakes, he has now become the only horse to defend his crown in the Jebel Ali Mile (and only second horse to win it twice).
The main support race was a 1400m conditions contest and it was again Al Muhairi and Smith who supplied the winner, with Youm Mutamiez registering his fourth course and distance victory before Suited And Booted landed a handicap over the same 1400m trip for the same combination.
Smith, who has now ridden 15 Jebel Ali winners this season from only 36 mounts, a 42 per cent strike rate, said: “It has been another great afternoon at our favourite track. It really seems I only ride winners here as that is my 18th all season! This track really does suit our horses though and it has been a very special day.”
Al Muhairi actually saddled four winners, with Harry Bentley in the saddle on Special Boy who lost his maiden tag in a 1200m handicap. The trainer said: “It is my first four-timer here at Jebel Ali but I did manage a similar tally at Meydan once. We used to do well on the dirt at Nad Al Sheba and now we seem to have horses who like it here.”
Racing concluded with a 1400m maiden and Champion Trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe saddled Latkhaf to register a well-deserved first victory having finished runner-up in three of his four previous starts. Stable jockey Royston Ffrench was in the saddle, while Periphery was another to win for the first time. Trained by Mubarak bin Shafya, he was piloted by stable jockey, Adrie de Vries.
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