Third leg of Triple Crown highlights final Abu Dhabi card of season

The final meeting of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club season, with just a pair of fixtures remaining in Al Ain to wrap up the whole UAE campaign, Thursday’s offering is highlighted by the 2400m Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown R3 for which 10 have been declared.

The first leg of the series, restricted to 4yos, a Listed contest, over 1600m, was won easily by RB Kingmaker under Antonio Fresu who again rides here.

The pair were then third, over 2200m, in the Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown R2 behind stable companion Joe Star who proved too good for 10 rivals on that occasion.

The latter, who carries a penalty for that success, has won both his UAE outings, under Tadhg O’Shea on each occasion, and will again have the services of the multiple local Champion Jockey. Both horses are trained by Helal Alalawi for National Stables.

For the same connections, Richard Mullen partners Sincerely, runner-up in the first leg, fourth in the second.

Dividing the Alalawi stable companions in the middle round was RB Stryngs Attached, having just his third career start and likely open to plenty of improvement. Runner-up on debut, when losing any realistic chance at the start, the colt then routed his 15 opponents in a 1600m maiden.

Trained by Fawzi Nass, who part-owns him with Victorious, he has been ridden by Adrie de Vries, who maintains the partnership, on each occasion and has only raced here in Abu Dhabi thus far in his fledgling career.

Of the four fillies in the race, Ma’Aly Al Shahania made a winning local debut on her only UAE start to date, in a 2200m maiden, here in the capital three weeks ago. Bernardo Pinheiro again rides for Liwa Stables and Mohamed Daggash. She had run just once previously in her native France.

The final race of the Abu Dhabi campaign and only Thoroughbred contest on the card, the concluding 1600m handicap, is due to be contested by a capacity field of 16 and looks wide open as do the vast majority of such races in the capital.

Doug Watson saddles five with Pat Dobbs opting to partner One Idea, seemingly well drawn in seven.

From four Bhupat Seemar runners, O’Shea has chosen Private Signal, another well berthed, stall 5 in his case.

Elise Jeanne relies on Harvest Gold who surely deserves a change of luck having run consistently in defeat after two modest runs at the start of the season on the dirt at Jebel Ali.

His six subsequent outings have reaped four second place finishes on the turf at Meydan Racecourse, a third at the same venue and, most recently, another third, back at Jebel Ali.

Apprentice Marcelino Rodrigues claims a valuable 3 kgs and will be hoping to benefit from the low draw in stall 2.

Of those with wider gates to overcome, Chosen Mark (10), Delorean (15), Mayaadeen (13), Bawaasil (14) and Kaheall (11) would all make some appeal but may well be dependent on some luck in running.

Bawaasil and Mayaadeen are both trained by Watson for Shadwell but the owner’s best chance may rest with Mudaarab from stall 3, De Vries in the saddle for Ali Albadwawi.