By Duane Fonseca
Al Ain’s seven race card Sunday evening is an all Purebred Arabian affair with the First Leg of the Al Ain Marathon Series the highlight of an evening that features a further three competitive handicaps and as many events for maidens. Over the years the series has been dominated by runners carrying the fluorescent green silks of Ajban Stables, and this year it’s chief handler Abdallah Al Hammadi is responsible for three of the top prospects that will vie for the major chunk of the Dh110,000 purse for the 3200m handicap.
Al Hammadi lines up Goshawke, Winked and Will Power here, with the former an erstwhile Group 1 winner and two-time Group 3 winner. A 9yo son of Thoroughbred, who won the 2019 running of the Al Maktoum Challenge R2 over 2200m at Meydan, Goshawke debuts in the series with past efforts at longer trips including consecutive wins in the second and third rounds of the 2018 Arabian Triple Crown at Abu Dhabi.
The latter was claimed over a over 2400m strip in the capital, but that’s also the farthest Goshawke has been in a competitive setup, with his career taking a downward turn since he turned up the victor in a 1800m conditions affair at Al Ain in November 2021.
Well-beaten in two starts this term, including a tenth in the Group 3 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup at Abu Dhabi over 1600m, might have nudged Al Hammadi to try a longer trip with him, and the same could hold for half-brothers Winked, whose only two career wins so far have been over mile trips at Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, and Will Power, who is yet to live up to his name and remains a maiden after 27 starts.
Mohamed Daggash’s Foah, who is yet to win since debuting with success, could lead the opposition against the Al Ajban brigade. The 6yo Nieshan mare has much to prove however, particularly here with her only appearance on the surface yielding a distant 13th in a conditions event over 1800m two years ago.
The 1400m handicap has attracted a posse of strong divisional names with Ibrahim Al Hadhrami’s Sattam Muscat and Mascotte Al Maury, trained by Daggash, perhaps the best of the field, with AS Qoot for Khalifa Al Neyadi another handy contender looking to bounce back from a recent reversal at Abu Dhabi in a 1200m sprint that ended his three win run.
A 6yo AF Albahar mare, AS Qoot is a two time winner at Al Ain and has a triumph each over 1000m and 1600m to show on her resume. She showed fight in going down at Abu Dhabi when beaten into a narrow sixth by AF Majalis on a step up in class and this should suit her well. Sattam Muscat’s only career success was recorded in a 1600m maiden here and Al Hadhrami’s charge has improved over his three runs this term that started with the Group 2 Madjani Stakes at Meydan where he finished 13th.
Mascotte Al Maury has shown an affinity for the surface and won his last two starts over course and distance. He is likely to contest the finish yet again, with Al Neyadi’s other runner Yas Xmnsor, the recent winner of the Prestige HH The Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup, another expected to put in a good performance with three past wins over the surface over varied trips further putting him down as a potential candidate to add to his tally.
Majed Al Jahoori’s Wadheha seems potent for the 1000m handicap after claiming a conditions 1200m sprint at Meydan in December where he saw every post first before winning by two and three fourths of a length. Three maidens and a further handicap over 2000m will supplement the programme.
SELECTION
Race 1: Farraan
Race 2: Makhtar
Race 3: Zaidan Al Wathba
Race 4: Qaisar
Race 5: Al Yohara
Race 6: Lamees
Race 7: Stilvio (Nap)
Race 8: Wadheha (NB)
Race 9: Al Mahbooba
