Duffield pinning her hopes on Nawara

Amith Passela

• Last Updated: November 21. 2009 9:43PM UAE / November 21. 2009 5:43PM GMT

Gillian Duffield, seen here in March 2008 in Dubai with the jockey John Murtagh. Ryan Carter / The National

ABU DHABI // Gillian Duffield, the former leading trainer for Purebred Arabians in the UAE, should open her account in the all Arabian card in the capital tonight.

She is represented by Nawara in the silks of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed in the 5pm opener, a maiden for fillies and mares over a mile, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s Ejaabi in the featured 12-furlong conditions race at 7pm.

Nawara raced three times in Abu Dhabi last season for a best-placed finish of second behind Razin. The Kairouan de Jos filly is returning for her first race after spending the summer in Dubai.

Rod Simpson, who succeeded Duffield as the leading trainer for Purebred Arabians last season, has made a bright start to his title defence. He is strongly represented by Ana Dhabiana, who finished fourth on debut to Jinad a fortnight ago.

Michael Kettle’s Limeted Edition ran an impressive second under the Omani female apprentice, Salima al Taleei in that race to finish ahead of Simpson’s runner and is expected to be the biggest danger in the race with the 4.5kg jockeys’s claim. Eric Lemartinel’s Shaymaa, unplaced in that race, should improve with that run under her belt. Ejaabi was a useful performer in the United Kingdom and rounded off last season with a reasonable third-place finish behind Jaxy King over the course and distance. The five-year-old, bred at Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Farm in the UK, should be ready to strike on his reappearance in the emirates.

Lemartinel’s Baher, beaten in a photo finish by Rachidia two weeks ago, and Ordoki, who showed signs of returning to his UK form when running a good fourth behind the champion mare Mizzna in last week’s National Day Cup Prep, have strong claims too.

Ballerina seems to be the pick in the second race; a handicap for local bred fillies and mares. She won in Sharjah and could make it back-to-back victories at the expense of the top weights Alama and Dhuha W’rsan.

Saifaldin Deeb’s Gabas Noor was an impressive winner last Sunday but will find Simpson’s Marjan Al Asayl a hard nut to crack when they get under way at 6pm.

Simpson is double handed with the Burning Sand colt and the filly Jowharat Al Asayl, ridden by the apprentice Charles Eddery, with a 3kg allowance. The Englishman rarely missed out on a winner in Abu Dhabi last season.

Rakeel carries the hopes of Lemartinel in the next race, the Umm al Nar conditions race at 6.30pm. The Tidjani colt finished second on his return behind CS Charma in Sharjah on November 7 and should benefit from that run to claim the prize from Dorat Nour, a French-bred chestnut filly, making her debut in the UAE.

Firstwan can provide trainer Ali Rashid al Raihe with an early Eid gift by claiming the final race. The six-year-old gelding was unplaced in his previous two starts this season.

apassela@thenational.ae