Bin Ghadayer, Barzalona deliver brilliant Meydan double for Sheikh Hamdan, Seemar scores twice too
- Duane Fonseca
- Jan 31, 2021
- 2 min read
By Duane Fonseca
Dubai: Emirati handler Salem bin Ghadayer and rider Mickael Barzalona forged a winning partnership that yielded a fine double for His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum at Meydan Saturday.
Horses in the sky blue colours of the Dubai Crown Prince flourished for a thriving yard which had struck 21 times heading into Meydan Saturday and there was more joy as Jumeirah Beach made it a winning start when picking up a first career success on her fifth start in the Tabloid. A 1600m maiden on dirt, the race saw the 3yo Exceed And Excel filly win by a length and quarter under Barzalona after virtually making all. Second in was Al Maroom for Satish Seemar with Tadhg O’Shea up, while Ismail Mohammed’s Tiger Queen took third a further five and a quarter back in the hands of Maxime Guyon.
Bin Ghadayer and Barzalona scored again in the Reach by Gulf News, the first of four handicaps on the card. Contested over 2200m of dirt, it saw Book Review turn up the bestseller with a new record time of 2:17.25. The race was won in much the same manner with the 4yo gelded son of Dubawi dictating the pace and pulling clear just before turning for home to win by a commanding seven lengths from Ali Rashid Al Rayhi’s One Vision, the ride of Connor Beasley. Third in, a further length behind, was Doug Watson’s race favourite Meqdam, who carried Pat Dobbs in the saddle.
Al Rayhi and Beasley were on target earlier in the Friday, a 1800m maiden on turf, with Emirates Currency, who swooped in late to deny stablemate Welcome Surprise, the ride of Sandro Paiva, by a half length. A further four and three fourths in arrears was Seemar’s Zero To A Hundred with Richard Mullen in the saddle.
The second half of the card carried the higher purses and perhaps the most exciting of them was the Gulf News 1600m turf handicap in which Helal Alalawi’s Mystery Land showed his versatility when winning his first turf start with a near last to first dash in the final 400m.
The 5yo Sea The Stars gelding was ridden by Pat Cosgrave, who pushed hard and admitted he knew 200m out he would win although the margin was a mere three fourths of a length from Erwan Charpy’s Al Salt, who performed admirably on his UAE debut under Clement Lecoeuvre. A neck back in third was Trolius ridden by Harry Bentley for Simon Crisford.
Seemar was denied earlier, but cashed in with a late double, winning the penultimate race of the night the gulfnews.com, a 1600m handicap on dirt, with Twelfthofneverland, who made it two in two under apprentice Nathan Crosse. A winner over 2000m here a fortnight ago, the 5yo son of Istan doubled up with three fourths to spare from Watson’s Double Orb the ride of Dobbs. A further length and a quarter adrift was Rashed Bouresly’s Celtic Price with Fabrice Veron up.
Seemar’s then claimed a 1-3 in the card closing agnc3, a 1000m sprint down the Meydan turf chute, with Moshaher, who swept clear down the centre under Bentley to win from the Watson schooled Alfolk with Dobbs up. Mullen rode third placed Wufud.
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