The President’s Cup for thoroughbreds and two Group 2 prizes for Purebred Arabians are among a seven-race card at the Abu Dhabi racecourse which will conclude four days of racing in the UAE on Sunday.
The Dh380,000 Listed race for thoroughbreds over 1,400 metres has drawn 11 runners, including Krypton Factor, winner of the US$2million Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup night in 2012.
Krypton Factor couldn’t make it to the last two Golden Shaheen races having finished third in 2013 and unplaced the following year, but arrives in Abu Dhabi with a win at a Conditions Race at Jebel Ali in 2016 and a turf handicap (rated 95-105) at Meydan last year.
He is the only horse in the President’s Cup line-up that has a Group 1 win to his name and will be ridden by Adries de Vries. Trainer Fawzi Nass believes his horse, now aged 10, is still competitive as he bids for the feature prize in the seven-race card.
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“Our horses have been in good form and this looks a good opportunity for him,” said the Bahraini trainer, who has saddled three winners so far during the ongoing Dubai World Cup Carnival.
“We think the conditions at Abu Dhabi will suit Krypton Factor and are hoping for a big run.”
The Satish Seemar-trained Hawkesbury, winner of the Listed National Day Cup over 1,600m in Abu Dhabi in December, will line-up in the same race having not placed in two starts at Meydan since that victory in the capital.
“We have a nice low draw which should be advantageous and he goes well at Abu Dhabi as a rule,” said Richard Mullen, the stable jockey will be atop Hawkesbury. “It looks competitive, but hopefully with our horses running well he should produce a good effort.”
Doug Watson’s Muntazah is another contender for the President’s Cup. He is the choice of Jim Crowley, the retained jockey of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, who will also have Mutamakkin and Eqtiraan in the race.
In the Liwa Oasis, first of the two Group 2 prizes for the Arabians, Jean de Roualle’s Rmmas will be looking to complete a hat-trick after his first win in his second local start followed victory in the Group 3 Al Ruwais.
Mullen, who was on top in both wins, is booked on the five year old chestnut son of Mahabb.
The other Group 2 prize, the Arabian Triple Crown Round 2, looks a competitive contest for four year olds run over 2,200m.
Eric Lemartinel has entered three, with his first choice jockey, Tadhg O’Shea, atop Elyaah. RB Grynade under Gerald Avranche, and Assyad ridden by Jesus Rosales are the others entered.
Ernst Oertel will have AF Al Bairaq and AF Motaghatres in the race, while Abdallah Al Hammadi also has two entries, in Goshawke and Ghillie.
