ABU DHABI // Alazeyab sprung something of a surprise in the Listed 1,400m HH The President's Cup across the Abu Dhabi turf on Sunday night.
Settled in mid-division behind what appeared a decent early gallop, Dane O'Neill's mount looked to be travelling strongly but was short of room on the rail turning for home.
"The horse deserves all the credit," O'Neill said. "They went a really good gallop and we were perhaps taken off our feet early on but turning for home I was more than hopeful if a gap appeared.
"Luckily it did and he quickened nicely when the opportunity arose.
"He is a nice and very versatile horse so it would be nice to think he can go to the Meydan Carnival and be competitive."
History seeking Jaasoos, trained by Dhruba Selvaratnam and ridden by James Doyle, was bidding to become the first horse to win both this race and the Listed National Day Cup twice, but failed to fire and trailed in a well-beaten seventh.
For a third year running, Satish Seemar's Escape Route, ridden by Richard Mullen, finished second.
The best of the Purebred Arabian action was the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship, a 1,600m contest restricted to three year olds.
It was won by Magik Du Paon, ridden by Wayne Smith for the trainer Eric Lemartinel, and the jockey said: "This is a nice young horse and I was always going well. These are the spare rides we jockeys like."
The meeting started with the Abu Dhabi Fillies' Classic, won by Shayel Aldhabi for the trainer Ernst Oertel and owner Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE.
The champion jockey Tadhg O'Shea was in the saddle and said: "She is a nice filly and it would be nice to think she has more to come."
The following race was the colts' equivalent and went to Monawer, ridden by Pat Cosgrave for Jaber Bittar. Cosgrave said: "We missed the break which was obviously not ideal but he travelled strongly in the race and carried me there going well. Once we hit the front we were always in control."
The meeting concluded with the Al Reem Island, a 2,200m Maiden, and Royston Ffrench was in the saddle on Maharani, completing a first and last race double for Oertel and Sheikh Khalifa.
The Wathba Stud Farm Cup, a 1,200m handicap, was won by Victor Adam, a first UAE winner for the jockey Saber Trabelsi and a second for the trainer Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
RACE WINNERS
Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic
Horse:Shayel Aldhabi; Jockey: Tadhg O'Shea
Abu Dhabi Colts Classic
Monawer; Pat Cosgrave
Abu Dhabi Championship
Magik Du Paon; Wayne Smith
HH The President's Cup
Alazeyab; Dane O'Neill
Wathba Stud Farm Cup
Victor Adam; Saber Trabelsi
2,200m Maiden
Maharani; Royston Ffrench
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