He finished third, second, third and sixth at last year’s Dubai Racing Carnival but perseverance paid off for Ouzo in the Lord North Handicap – the feature event at Meydan Racecourse on Friday.
Perseverance has paid off for Ouzo (Pic – Dubai Racing Club)
It was a first start of 2024 for Jamie Osborne’s gelding who was the highlight of a brilliant evening for jockey Adrie De Vries. Drawn wide in 11, the pair overcame some shortage of room when emerging from the back of the pack for their winning run in the 1800metre turf event, denying fellow British trainee Silent Film by half a length.
“I was delighted all the way,” said Osborne. “I thought they’d gone quick, and he was going well enough to pick up, we just needed the splits.
“We’ll come back for the Lord Glitters Handicap over the same distance in three weeks’ time. But he’ll now go to a rating that he’s never played with before, so he may well find it difficult off his new mark.”
Ouzo’s win was the third leg of a sparkling treble for 52-year-old jockey Adrie De Vries who earlier helped produce one of the most pleasing results of the night. It may have been his 42nd career start, but that didn’t stop ten-year-old Thegreatcollection from weaving through from the back of the field and winning the Palm Beach Towers Handicap, over 1400metres on dirt.
It was a typically quirky performance by the veteran, who trainer Doug Watson opted to run without headgear for the first time in his long career.
“It’s always the same, he drops himself out and makes up his own mind, so you just have to leave him alone,” said De Vries. “But in the straight I was thinking ‘don’t get there too soon!’
“It was his first start without blinkers, so he went to the start like it was his first time out!”
Watson’s night got even more exciting later when Kabirkhan made a winning local debut in the 2000metre Dubai Islands Handicap, on dirt.
Previously trained in Russia where he won eight of his nine starts, the son of California Chrome looked very good here, travelling well throughout and beating fellow Russian import and stablemate Hero Mo by four lengths – a reversal of the form from their last meeting in September.
“His times at home have been very good,” said winning jockey Pat Dobbs. “For me, he’s got everything you want in a racehorse; he’s genuine, tough and he’s got a bit of character, which most of the good ones do.”
“I could do very little with them for two weeks and they could do well in the Gr1 Maktoum Challenge on 26 January,” added Watson of the first and second. “I know what is here and coming over and I think they can compete well.”
Dubai Meydan (Pic – Dubai Racing Club)
Star Of Mystery Beats the Boys
There was an all-star finish to the AED300,000 Al Wasl Stakes when the filly Star Of Mystery beat the colts.
Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, Star Of Mystery overcame a tardy start and had to pass the majority of the field in the 1200metre turf contest. Once in the clear, she showed tenacity in beating Group 3 winner Starlust and his fellow European raider Seven Questions.
“She did jump slow but she was in the stalls for a while and she hadn’t run for a while,” said Buick. “She’s a strong traveller and managed to find the horses that we had to beat. I was quite taken with how she travelled through the race. She has plenty of energy and is a really good filly.”
It was the second leg of a double for Buick, after Vespasian ran out the winner of the opening Palm Jumeirah Handicap, over 1000metres on turf.
Second on local debut last week, Simon and Ed Crisford’s five-year-old was always up with the pace and got the better of his Jebel Ali conqueror, Al Shibli, after a battle to the line.
“He jumped well and was comfortable throughout the race,” said Buick. “He’s a very genuine horse. I always felt he was holding the second and he stuck his neck out, so it was a well-deserved win.”
Prepping at Jebel Ali also worked out well for Changing Colours, who caused something of a shock in the Como Residences Handicap, over 1400metres on turf.
Last when rearing at the start at Jebel Ali on his UAE debut, Musabbeh Al Mheiri’s gelding barely saw another rival here, sprinting into the lead under Sandro Paiva and growing increasingly dominant, eventually beating Molaqab by two lengths.
“All the praise for the horse,” said Paiva after his only ride of the evening. “When I asked him to go, he gave me more and more. He had a very good break, different from Jebel Ali when he missed the break.”
They didn’t hang around in the second race, the three-year-olds’ Palm Jebel Ali event, over a mile on dirt, which was the first leg of De Vries’ treble. Favourite Military Artist blasted from the stalls but was then settled behind leader Million Doro. Turning for home, Fawzi Nass’ flashy chestnut was far too good, storming to a length and a quarter success over the closing Tokyo Tower.
“He broke really well and had to with that draw (12),” said De Vries. “He was the best horse in the race and I made use of him. My only concern was backing him up so quickly, but he is a big horse and he needed it last time after not having a race (stumbling and eased) first time out.
“I think a mile is a far as he would like.”
Seemar Doubles Up
Former Champion Trainer Bhupat Seemar signalled his intention to regain his title with a double in the last two races. The first of them, the Palm West Beach Handicap over 1400metres on dirt, gave jockey Andrew Slattery his first Meydan win.
The Irish-born rider partnered Border Edge, always up with the pace, to a three-quarter length win over Nyaar, second for the third time in a row.
“We went through the race this morning and we hoped to have the box seat,” said Slattery. “We got that and it was all very easy from there.”
The finish of the night came in the closing Palm Crown Handicap, over 2410metres on turf. The grey Ahesta Bero and his Ismail Mohammed-trained stablemate Sea Stone tried their best but it was Webinar who just held on under Tadhg O’Shea to win by a short head.
It was a first Meydan victory for the well-bred gelding, whose last victory came at Abu Dhabi, also at the expense of Ahesta Bero.
“He enjoyed being back on the turf,” said O’Shea. “Because of his pedigree we tried the dirt but that didn’t work out too well. He’s a strong-travelling horse and I had a willing partner when it counted.”
Dubai Racing Carnival resumes next week, Friday, 19 January, when the feature race is the AED850,000 Cape Verdi Stakes for fillies and mares.
