Emirati Trainer Holds Three Chances But Must Take On Al Raihe’s Haatheq
Trainer Musabah Al Muhairi seeks an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory in Friday’s Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile, having won the last two renewals with Treble Jig and the 2011 race with Snaafy.
Treble Jig is now racing in Saudi Arabia but the trainer still has three live chances in the race with Straight Talk, Atlantic Brave and Colmar Kid. The last named arrives on the back of two course and distance victories, including a track record-breaking effort two weeks ago.
Like Treble Jig, he is owned by Fathi Esaed Mohd Egziama, and Silvestre De Sousa, who was aboard two weeks ago, retains the partnership.
Stable companion, Straight Talk, the mount of William Twiston-Davies, is also a dual course and distance winner, whereas the trainer’s third runner, Atlantic Brave, has one 1600m Jebel Ali victory to his credit. The mount of Royston Ffrench, Atlantic Brave was second in this race in 2011 and third 12 months later.
Stable jockey, Wayne Smith, remains sidelined with a collarbone injury, but was spotted riding out on Wednesday for the first time since his fall in December.
He said: “If I was able to ride I would probably have sided with Colmar Kid who is clearly progressing well and has certainly got his act together recently. It was a big run last time but he needs to improve again.
“Like Colmar Kid, Straight Talk loves Jebel Ali and should run well, but I would be more hopeful if it was 1400m, while Atlantic Brave also saves his best for Jebel Ali but may need this second run after a year off.
“As for me, I had another x-ray on Tuesday and all is good. I will ride out for a week or two before looking to race ride in early February.”
The Ali Rashid Al Raihe-trained Haatheq has chased home Treble Jig in this race in each of the last two years and must surely go close for race sponsor, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum whose Shadwell breeding operation continue to generously support the Jebel Ali features.
The race is worth an impressive Dh575,000 and Haatheq must have a major chance of making it third time lucky with the owner’s retained jockey, Paul Hanagan, clearly hopeful.
“He loves it at Jebel Ali and has yet to run a bad race there. There is no Treble Jig to beat this year, which clearly boosts our chances, and he has to have a big chance. We are certainly hopeful of a very big run.”
Haatheq was fourth in the Jebel Ali Stakes a fortnight ago, one place behind the Satish Seemar-trained Farrier who drops to this 1600m trip for the first time since his second career start in November 2012.
When the aforementioned Colmar Kid broke the track record at the last meeting, he was chased home by Forjatt, trained on the Jebel Ali track by Dhruba Selvaratnam for racecourse patron, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Twice a 1400m course winner, he meets Colmar Kid on better terms here and Selvaratnam said: “He is in great shape at home and should run well but he needs to reverse form with Colmar Kid and Haatheq will be had to beat.”
Trainer Musabah Al Muhairi seeks an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory in Friday’s Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile, having won the last two renewals with Treble Jig and the 2011 race with Snaafy.
Treble Jig is now racing in Saudi Arabia but the trainer still has three live chances in the race with Straight Talk, Atlantic Brave and Colmar Kid. The last named arrives on the back of two course and distance victories, including a track record-breaking effort two weeks ago.
Like Treble Jig, he is owned by Fathi Esaed Mohd Egziama, and Silvestre De Sousa, who was aboard two weeks ago, retains the partnership.
Stable companion, Straight Talk, the mount of William Twiston-Davies, is also a dual course and distance winner, whereas the trainer’s third runner, Atlantic Brave, has one 1600m Jebel Ali victory to his credit. The mount of Royston Ffrench, Atlantic Brave was second in this race in 2011 and third 12 months later.
Stable jockey, Wayne Smith, remains sidelined with a collarbone injury, but was spotted riding out on Wednesday for the first time since his fall in December.
He said: “If I was able to ride I would probably have sided with Colmar Kid who is clearly progressing well and has certainly got his act together recently. It was a big run last time but he needs to improve again.
“Like Colmar Kid, Straight Talk loves Jebel Ali and should run well, but I would be more hopeful if it was 1400m, while Atlantic Brave also saves his best for Jebel Ali but may need this second run after a year off.
“As for me, I had another x-ray on Tuesday and all is good. I will ride out for a week or two before looking to race ride in early February.”
The Ali Rashid Al Raihe-trained Haatheq has chased home Treble Jig in this race in each of the last two years and must surely go close for race sponsor, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum whose Shadwell breeding operation continue to generously support the Jebel Ali features.
The race is worth an impressive Dh575,000 and Haatheq must have a major chance of making it third time lucky with the owner’s retained jockey, Paul Hanagan, clearly hopeful.
“He loves it at Jebel Ali and has yet to run a bad race there. There is no Treble Jig to beat this year, which clearly boosts our chances, and he has to have a big chance. We are certainly hopeful of a very big run.”
Haatheq was fourth in the Jebel Ali Stakes a fortnight ago, one place behind the Satish Seemar-trained Farrier who drops to this 1600m trip for the first time since his second career start in November 2012.
When the aforementioned Colmar Kid broke the track record at the last meeting, he was chased home by Forjatt, trained on the Jebel Ali track by Dhruba Selvaratnam for racecourse patron, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Twice a 1400m course winner, he meets Colmar Kid on better terms here and Selvaratnam said: “He is in great shape at home and should run well but he needs to reverse form with Colmar Kid and Haatheq will be had to beat.”
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