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  • 22 December 2022
    Racing at Meydan ends 2022 with quality card and a welcome turf return

    Racing at Meydan for 2022 concludes on Friday with a quality seven-race card highlighted by the Listed The Entisar, over the same 2000m on dirt as the Dubai World Cup as well as the first four turf races at the track this season.

  • 21 December 2022
    Class dropping seasonal Thoroughbred debutants seek Abu Dhabi Listed prize on quality card in the capital

    The Thoroughbreds take centre stage at Abu Dhabi on Thursday with seven declared for the 2200m Listed contest, including Away He Goes, a 6yo gelded son of Farhh, trained by Ismail Mohammed and taking a drop in class having been campaigned against some of the very best stayers in Europe over the last two summers.

    His penultimate start was in the 3200m Group 1 Goodwood Cup, his previous one in the 2400m Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes. His third and final outing over the summer was in the 3100m Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury. In 2021 he was runner-up in the Goodwood Cup.

  • 20 December 2022
    ERA Media Release – Mr Abdel Khair Adam

    The ERA Stewards continued an inquiry on Tuesday 13th December 2022, into the pre-race handling of BINT ALAIN (AE) who was declared to race in Race 5 “Al Badiyah Handicap” over 2200 metres at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Thursday 17th November 2022. Evidence was taken on the day of the initial inquiry and again when it was continued from Mr. Abdel Khair Adam (Trainer or BINT ALAIN (AE), Dr. Kieran Finn (ERA Regulatory Veterinarian), Dr. David Craig (ERA Veterinarian) and Mr. Muneer Mon (ERA Senior Sampler). The following matters were established during the initial inquiry;

  • 18 December 2022
    Dobbs and AS Qoot snatch Sharjah feature after quality Mullen double for Al Asayl

    Sunday’s Sharjah meeting featured the The HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup, a conditions race with Prestige status over the straight 1200m, and Pat Dobbs oozed class in the saddle, producing AS Qoot, who was seemingly outpaced at halfway, suggesting the early protagonists went plenty fast enough, to lead in the final 75m for Khalifa Al Neyadi in the colours of Sheikh Hamed bin Khadim bin Butti.

  • 17 December 2022
    A double for Dobbs and treble for Watson highlighted by Jebel Ali feature race success

    Saturday’s meeting up the famous Jebel Ali hill was highlighted by the Jebel Ali Stakes Prep, a conditions contest over 1800m, 150m shorter than the Listed race itself, won last season, at the end of February, by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s Lost Eden who was able to overcome a penalty for that big race victory, successfully conceding weight to eight rivals and providing Pat Dobbs a double and a third consecutive winner on the card for Doug Watson.

  • 16 December 2022
    Penalised Jebel Ali Stakes winner to face eight rivals in big race prep

    Over 1800m, the Jebel Ali Stakes Prep, a conditions contest, is the Saturday highlight up the famous Jebel Ali hill with nine set to face the starter after the withdrawal of Avant Garde who was due to be half of a pair of runners to be saddled by Michael Costa.

    The actual Listed Jebel Ali Stakes itself is over 1950m and was won last season, at the end of February, by Lost Eden, trained by Doug Watson for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum. The 5yo gelded son of Sea The Stars had won a rated conditions stakes a month earlier over the same course and distance.

  • 15 December 2022
    Abu Dhabi doubles for O’Shea, Oertel & Al Nabooda includes landmark 400th local winner for the trainer

    A 2200m handicap for horses in private ownership opened proceedings at Abu on Thursday with Tadhg O’Shea, riding for his main employer, Champion Owner Khalid Khalif Al Nabooda, looking confident throughout aboard AF Ramz, the pair hitting the front about 275m out and always holding on for Ernst Oertel. It was UAE winner 400 for the owner.

    It was a third career and consecutive success for the homebred 6yo entire, on his seasonal debut, having finished the last campaign with two victories in March, the second over this Abu Dhabi 2200m.

  • 14 December 2022
    Competitive action as Abu Dhabi stages intriguing six-race card

    Six races on the Abu Dhabi turf on Thursday, the meeting concluding with the only Thoroughbred contest, a 1600m handicap with 12 due to face the starter, the weights headed by Desert Destination, to be ridden by Antonio Fresu for rookie trainer Osama Refai.

    Fresu’s mount, a 5yo Night Of Thunder gelding, remains a maiden after nine starts, evenly divided between Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor, Beverley Deutrom and Refai but has shown plenty of promise both locally and in the UK.

  • 13 December 2022
    Horses from 16 countries accepted to 2023 Dubai World Cup Carnival

    Nearly 150 horses from 16 countries have been accepted to run at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, which gets underway on Friday, January 6th at Meydan Racecourse.

    With millions in prizemoney up for grabs across nine weeks of racing, the Carnival promises some excellent action on the turf and dirt tracks at the UAE’s flagship racecourse. The action builds up to the Dubai World Cup, which takes place on Saturday, March 25th, for which a separate set of nominations will be received.

  • 10 December 2022
    Positive Paiva lands Al Ain feature for Daoud and Liwa Stables

    Seven races at Al Ain on Saturday were highlighted by a 1400m handicap, won impressively by Mascotte Al Maury, the 4yo filly always looking in control after committed for home early in the straight by Sandro Paiva, riding for Liwa Stables and trainer Abdelaziz Daoud.

    Paiva said: “She won very well last time over this Al Ain 1400m but this was a tougher race and she has coped being upped in class in style. She is a nice filly.”

  • 10 December 2022
    Racing at Meydan dominated by four Sheikh Ahmed winners and a Costa treble

    Racing at Meydan on Friday was undoubtedly highlighted by the 1200m Listed Garhoud Sprint which was landed stylishly by Mouheeb, a third consecutive winner on the card for Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, this one partnered by Ray Dawson and completing a double for the owner’s new salaried trainer, Michael Costa.

    Dawson said: “This is a smart horse because we know he stays further but he has the natural speed and ability to cope with this drop to sprinting. He is exciting and the team have an exciting horse to look forward to.”

  • 09 December 2022
    Course specialists seeking to build on impressive Al Ain records

    The traditional seven races at Al Ain on Saturday highlighted by a 1400m handicap for which 13 have been declared, including course specialist AF Ramz who shares the burden of top weight with Mascotte Al Maury, the pair attempting to concede weight to their 11 rivals.

    Owned and trained by Khalifa Al Neyadi, the 8yo entire AF Ramz has six career victories to his name, all here at Al Ain and is seeking a third success over this 1400m course and distance.
    His most recent visit to the winner’s enclosure was at the beginning of January after he landed a 2000m conditions contest.

  • 08 December 2022
    Feature race success highlights O’Shea, Oertel & Al Nabooda doubles

    Thursday’s Abu Dhabi meeting featured a 1600m conditions contest for 4yos, taken in striking style by AF Maqem, completing doubles on the card for Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel and Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda.
    The homebred colt was registering a third career success on his seventh start but opening his turf account at the fourth attempt.

    Oertel said: “That was a good victory in a decent race against some of the top 4yos in the UAE. He found trouble in running but he was good enough to get out of it and he should have learned a lot today.”

  • 08 December 2022
    Carnival sprinters out in force in quality Garhoud Sprint

    Racing at Meydan on Friday appears set to be dominated by the speedsters, the seven-race card highlighted by the 1200m Listed Garhoud Sprint which has attracted a quality field of eight, the weights headed by Al Tariq, penalised for his course and distance success in January’s Group 3 Dubawi Stakes, one of the sprint features during the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

  • 07 December 2022
    Quick return to action in Abu Dhabi

    Having staged their big National Day Cup fixture as recently as Sunday, racing returns swiftly to the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Thursday for a six-race card, the best of which appears to be the penultimate event, a 1600m conditions contest for 4yos and for which 12 have been declared, the field headed by a trio of contenders attempting to concede weight to their nine rivals.