Omani apprentice Saif Al Balushi, on board AF Momtaz in the silks of Emirati owner Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah, won the second Gulf Cup for Purebred Arabians at the Sharjah Equestrian Club on Saturday.
The Musabah Al Muhairi-trained seven-year-old son of AF Al Buraq raced prominently throughout the 1,700-metre trip and staved off a strong late challenge from another Al Naboodah runner AF Motaghatres under Tadhg O’Shea for a three-quarter length verdict.
“He’s shown remarkable improvement this season, winning his biggest career prize,” Al Muhairi said of his victory in the Dh150,000 race with Prestige status.
“This is his fourth win in six starts for the season and also his first success on the dirt surface. We wanted to give a try and he’s come out tops.
“We are hoping he will continue to progress and certainly think of some bigger prizes for him.”
Al Naboodah was completing a hat-trick at the meeting. He took his tally to 25 for the season, four clear of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid in the UAE trainers' championship race, which he has won twice in the last three years.
“To saddle the first two home in the Gulf Cup was another accomplishment for my team,” Al Naboodah, who also won the first two races with the Ernst Oertel-trained AF Mezmar and AF Ajwad, said.
“Saif rode an excellent race. The trainer had faith in him and he did a great job. I heard the trainer giving him the instructions and he carried it out to the point.”
“Today we won three prizes with two different trainers and three different jockeys. That was quite an outstanding team effort.”
Adam McLean was on board Oertel’s AF Mezmar, the first of the three winners in the Al Naboodah silks.
McLean raced alongside stable companion AF Arrab for most of the way before holding on to the late challenge of Fabrice Veron atop Al Jazi to prevail by a head on the line.
O’Shea completed the double for Oertel/Al Naboodah half and hour later atop AF Arrab.
Sam Hitchcott on Gold Silver got one across the board for the Sharjah based Sudanese trainer Ibrahim Aseel in the next.
Richard Mullen made all on board the Ana Mendez-trained Atrash in the fourth race and then went on to complete a double at the meeting on board Satish Seemar’s Al Mushtashar in the concluding thoroughbred handicap.
