UAE racing started with a bang and some happy firsts. 

The highlight 1400m handicap was won by High On Life is trained by Sandeep Jadhav, embarking on his first full season having been appointed at Fazza Racing Stables in March.

The Invincible Spirit colt injured his jockey, so badly in January (at Jebel Ali as well) that he was out of the saddle for seven months. Today the jockey had a shaky start, when deposited on the dirt track by High On Life as they left the parade ring. All was well though with the pair soon reunited to the delight of the trainer. Eventually the race was won by the high spirited colt. 

There were two maidens during the afternoon with the first, over 1800m, won stylishly by Cape Of Eagles, confidently ridden by William Lee and providing the perfect beginning to his partnership with trainer Helal Al Alawi. Previously trained by Bahraini trainer Fawzi Nass, the winner was placed on three of his four outings last season, all at Meydan, and clearly relished the surface and hill finish at Jebel Ali.

That winner was sporting the predominantly red silks of Abu Dhabi Racing, a new name on the owner’s roster, and the team promptly doubled up with the smooth success of Silchester in the following 1600m handicap with Lee in the saddle again and always looking confident.

Raced three times, on the all-weather at Southwell on each occasion, in the UK by David Simcock, for whom he made a winning debut in February before twice finishing second, he clearly relishes testing synthetic surfaces.

Based in the UAE for a first winter, after just one previous local ride last season, and before dashing back to England to ride in the Gr.1 Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday, Ben Curtis made it third time lucky for the campaign, cementing his new post as stable jockey to Musabbel Al Mheiri with victory aboard the trainer’s Kunani in a second 1400m handicap.

Sixteen, the maximum field allowed, contested a 1200m handicap and Richard Mullen, stable jockey for Satish Seemar, picked the correct one of the trainer’s six runners, landing the spoils with Above Normal.

Winning owner, Nasir Askar, said: “This horse won here at Jebel Ali for us over 1400m in March and in England was a winner over 2400m for Godolphin but, Satish Seemar was adamant he had the speed for 1200m. Happily, as is so often the case, he was right!”

Press Release and News Credited To Emirates Racing Authority (ERA)