Raakezz delivers Nicholas Bachalard and Tadhg O’Shea first win of season at Jebel Ali

Raakezz made all to win the 1,000-metre dash by five-and-a-quarter lengths in Friday's third meeting

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - November 29th, 2019: Raakezz ridden by Tadhg O'Shea wins the Arabian Scandinavian Insurance Co race at the 3rd meeting of the season at Jebel Ali racecourse. Friday, November 29th, 2019, Jebel Ali Racecourse, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
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RESULTS

1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

Raakezz made a superb racecourse debut at Jebel Ali on Friday to provide Nicholas Bachalard and Tadhg O’Shea, the new trainer-jockey partnership for the Jebel Ali Stables, their first victory for the season.

Raakezz made all to win the 1,000-metre dash by five-and-a-quarter lengths from Ali Rashid Al Raihe’s Dubai Avenue under Fernando Jara in the third meeting.

“It was good to win today. The horse has shown a lot of promise in the mornings,” Bachalard said. “He’s a fast horse over the 1,000m and 1,200m.

"The program for him as a two-year-old isn’t well for him here, as they don’t have many races over the sprint distances.

“He may have a race at Jebel Ali in a month and-a-half and after that we’ll put him away and bring him back for next season for the sprint races. I don’t see any races for him in the [Dubai World Cup] Carnival.

“Maybe 1,200m will be his limit anyway we’ll talk to the owners and see what the plans for him are.”

Ismail Mohammed also got his first win on the board for the season when Dirilis Ertugrul under stable jockey Fabrice Veron took the opener to end his maiden tag at his 11th attempt.

Dirilis Ertugrul, returning to the track two weeks after finishing fifth over the 1,600m trip, was impressive over the shorter 1,400m distance to win by three-and-a-half lengths from Rashed Bouresly’s Celtic Prince.

“His jockey [Veron] said he would do better over the shorter trip after his last run and he proved it right today,” said assistant trainer Claude Piccioni.

“Trust me, it was nice to have one across the board for a small stable like Ismail’s. It’s the start of the season and we don’t have many horses ready.

“We are keeping for the end of December and January. We have 26 horses with a few shipped from England. Some will run in the Carnival and some at Meydan on the non-Carnival meetings.”

Sean Kirrane celebrated his first winner in the UAE when steering the Satish-Seemar-trained Au Coeur to victory in the fourth race, a handicap for horses rated 75-95 and run over the 1,200m sprint.

Kirrane, the Newmarket based 19-year-old apprentice for trainer Richard Spencer, rode Au Coeur to win by a neck from Pennsylvania Dutch under Connor Beasley.

“It was great to put one across the board in the UAE,” Kirrane said. “It was a team effort at the end and thanks to Satish and Bhupat Seemar (the trainer and his assistant) for the opportunity. That was my 23rd winner, 19 in the UK and 3 in Ireland.”

Seemar completed a double when King’s Shadow ridden by stable jockey Richard Mullen took the concluding handicap.

RESULTS

1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar