Duane Fonseca -
An intriguing renewal of The GCC Cup for Purebred Arabians is the main attraction on Sunday’s six-race programme at Sharjah, with the local contingent looking far more potent this time around than in previous editions of the race. One look at the field going head-to-head in the 1700m PA Conditions event (3:30pm) reveals a significant chunk of the AED200,000 purse reserved for the race will not be leaving the UAE’s shores.
Ernst Oertel’s AF Maqam who carries the colours of champion trainer Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda and will be guided by champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea, is top rated in the field. The five-year-old AF Alsalaam entire finished last but one in a field of 14 in last year’s renewal, but commands respect nevertheless as he drops substantially in grade for this, having last been seen finishing a lowly 10th behind RB Rich Lyke Me in the Group 2 Madjani Stakes at Meydan a fortnight ago. A lofty rating always attracts attention, but far more meritorious are his two course and distance (C&D) wins, data that should really boost his claims in a race that fits his profile and one that is likely to produce a tense finish yet again.
Khalifa Al Neyadi’s AF Sanad is a 55-start veteran with seven wins, none of which have been gained at Sharjah. Narrowly edged out in the 2021 running and 10th last year, Al Neyadi and jockey Saif Al Balushi will be hoping it’s a case of ‘third time lucky’ for the 10-year-old AF Al Buraq gelding.
HIT THE WOODWORK
The Maitha Alsuwaidi-trained AF Yabarhin (Qais Al Busaidi) was looking for a third straight win when sixth in the last feature run here; the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup over 1200m. While he might have shown distance versatility having won twice on the bounce at Al Ain over 1600m and then a sharper 1000m, Sharjah proved difficult to negotiate rocketing down the chute, but two turns could help settle the otherwise smart-looking AF Alsalaam entire. The Ahmed Al Mehairbi-schooled Al Laith, won a 1600m contest under in-form rider Ben Coen at Abu Dhabi three weeks ago, having hit the woodwork on two previous occasions when second and third over C&D. However, with Coen taking the ride again, his racecourse fortunes could change drastically. One to definitely have onside is Majed Al Jahoori’s Bassam Al Wathba (Bernardo Pinheiro) who hunts for another feature success having won The Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup, a conditions event run over the 1200m sprint strip, nearly two months ago. Hamad Al Marar’s ES Abu Mousa (Adrie de Vries) is the horse-for-the-course in this bunch having made four of his Sharjah starts winning ones. Abdallah Al Hammadi saddles threetime Sharjah winner Majdi (Richard Mullen), who is capable of handling the distance and was sixth behind Eyjabi on his seasonal bow over C&D, while he won on his subsequent start over a longer 2000m trip. This might be a step up in class for Al Hammadi’s charge, but his form is solid. Among the visitors, Omani handler Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi’s Inqath (Abdul Aziz Al Balushi) could be a strong candidate, but that’s purely on the basis of pedigree and him being a six-year-old full son of Dahess.
A 1200m sprint handicap (0-75, 4:30pm) is the only race for Thoroughbreds on the agenda and John Hyde’s Al Hadeer (Qais Al Busaidi) stands out courtesy of a C&D success in October 2022. Twice sixth over 1200m Meydan this season, the War Front gelding has a C&D victory and two runnersup efforts on his resume. Bhupat Seemar’s hopes are carried by Dukedom (O’Shea), who hasn’t won in seven UAE attempts so far, but has a pair of fourth-placed finishes this season which throw his name into the mix. The six-race card is supplemented by a pair of maidens for Purebred Arabians, both 1200m and for three-year-olds UAE bred horses, one a run for colts and geldings, the other a fillies’-only event. A pair of Purebred Arabian handicaps too — 1700m and 2000m — have been pencilled in on the programme and will involve four-year-and-older UAE bred runners.
