Over 1400m, the Group 2 Liwa Oasis was the Thursday highlight on the turf at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club and was won in gritty fashion by AF Alajaj, a fourth homebred winner on the card for Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda saddled by Ernst Oertel, all partnered by Tadhg O’Shea who was victorious in each of the first five races.
Carrying a penalty and thus conceding weight to all his 13 rivals, the 6yo entire was always travelling well before hitting the front inside the final 275m and digging deep to cling on for a hard fought success. He has now won half of his 14 career starts. O’Shea said: “He is one of my favourite horses in the yard and is a pleasure to be associated with.
That was another top effort.” Oertel added: “That is why Tadhg is champion and this is a very nice horse who will now go for the Kahayla Classic.” For 4yos the preceding 2200m Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown R2, the middle leg of the series and the evening’s fourth race, provided O’Shea the perfect opportunity to maintain his 100% record on the card, this time combining with Helal Alalawi aboard National Stables’ Joe Star.
The pair hit the front approaching the final 400m and, once in front, soon had the race in safekeeping, the colt defying a penalty for his debut victory, in this grade, in France. He has now won both his local starts having landed a conditions race, under O’Shea, over 1800m on the Al Ain dirt on his first start locally.
O’Shea said: “Everything has just fallen right so far tonight and it has been a great evening. This is a nice horse who is versatile but will be better next season and has plenty of class. I really like him and think he has a big future.” The opening 1400m maiden, for horses foaled locally, was all about one horse: AF Alfahem, probably never headed under O’Shea in the colours of Al Nabooda for Oertel.
THREE OUT OF THREE
The homebred 4yo colt was making just his second racecourse appearance after a well beaten effort in sixth on debut in a 1400m maiden up the hill on the Jebel Ali dirt. Connections were soon celebrating a double, O’Shea grabbing the initiative about 325m from home in a 1200m handicap aboard AF Musannef, the pair just lasting home to deny the late challenge of JAP Mabroka.
Another homebred, the 7yo entire is now a winner of seven races. The following 1400m handicap for horses in private ownership provided the trio a rapid treble and the first three winners on the card, O’Shea masterfully weaving through traffic aboard AF Rasam and never likely to be caught after hitting the front inside the final 325m, the homebred 6yo entire taking his career tally to three.
Silent Defense and Oscar Chavez landed the only Thoroughbred race on the card, the concluding 1400m handicap, in the colours of the Bouresly Racing Syndicate for Rashed Bouresly, in doing so ending the O'Shea juggernaut.
RESULTS
Race 1. AF Alfahem
Race 2. AF Musannef
Race 3. AF Rasam
Race 4. Joe Star
Race 5. AF Alajaj
Race 6. Silent Defense
