By Duane Fonseca -
Sharp final loop acceleration from Saeed Mohammed Al Mehairi aboard Cherifa De Flauzins brings SS Endurance Stables a fine success in DIEC 101km His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup (Private Owners) ride.
In one of the fastest final stage speeds recorded this season, SS Endurance Stables pair of Saeed Mohammed Al Mehairi and Cherifa De Flauzins went about their business at a breezy 35.21kph during the last of the four loops in the DIEC 101km His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup (Private Owners) ride at Dubai International Endurance City in Seih Al Salaam last week. The result: a sensational upwards leap from eighth to success. The pair were terrific over the 20km loop that brought the race to an end and won after posting a winning time that dislodged his SS Endurance Stables teammate Saeed Ahmad Al Shamsi, the leader over the first three loopsthe summit.
Saeed and his 12-year-old mare were on fire and won with a time of three hours, 29 minutes and 57 seconds (3:29:57), which was 22 seconds quicker than the secondplaced TNT Private Stables pair of Zayed Mohammed Al Mehairi and Fanta ML, who were timed at 3:30:19. TNT enjoyed a 2-3 on the podium after Musaab Mohammed Al Falasi and his partner Bomec Du Sauveterre, a mere four seconds adrift, ended up clocking the third best time of 3:30:23. Al Shamsi looked strong to go gate-to-wire after holding on to the lead at the end of the first three loops and was seven seconds clear of the Al Kamda Endurance Stables pair of Leila Mohammed Al Marzooqi and IV Trenka Limits going into the final loop.
Al Marzooqi had managed to get to second at the end of the second loop after starting her ride in fourth. On the other hand, the winner, Saeed Al Mehairi, got the ride underway in 17th position aboard Cherifa De Flauzins. The pair managed to climb four spots during the second loop spanning 25km and make another upward move when pushing into the top 10 by seizing eighth at the end of the 21km third loop. Going into the final 20km loop nearly two minutes behind Al Shamsi, Saeed Al Mehairi knew he would need a colossal effort from Cherifa De Flauzins to win and he did not refrain from cajoling his mount into delivering what was needed.
The pair had applied themselves at a modest 26.62kph over the third loop, but going nearly nine kilometres quicker over the final loop helped them overhaul the leading pair and six other pairing ahead of them to gain a well-deserved success. TNT’s Zayed Mohammed Al Mehairi and Fanta ML moved into second from fourth, having started their ride in 12th and then climbed up five spots to seventh. Al Falasi and Bomec Du Sauveterre started in sixth and were third thereafter all the way to the end.
