Mullen and De Vries share riding honours equally at Abu Dhabi Sunday evening

By Duane Fonseca

Abu Dhabi: Richard Mullen and Adrie de Vries shared the riding honours equally at Abu Dhabi Sunday evening winning doubles that included victories for each in the two feature races of the six race card.

While former UAE Champion Jockey Mullen was triumphant in the Wathba Stallions Cup (Pvt. Owners) and the Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic, De Vries clinched success in the Abu Dhabi Colts Classic and the only Thoroughbred contest on the card.

Eric Lemartinel’s Zuhoor set the pace in the Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic PA Prestige contest over 2200m but a tactical ride from Mullen aboard the Jean de Roualle schooled Heba Al Wathba saw the latter take over at the 200m marker and dart home to win by two and a quarter lengths from the Fabrice Veron ridden Foah, also trained by Lemartinel. A further three and a quarter behind was Abdallah Al Hammadi’s Bernardo Pinheiro ridden Rawaat Al Reef.

The Abu Dhabi Colts Classic, also a 2200m PA Prestige event, saw Al Hammadi’s Hameem assume control 300m out and run on to build what was ultimately a commanding four and a quarter length success in the hands of De Vries.

Finishing second was Ibrahim Al Hadhrami’s Samau Xmnsor with Abdul Aziz Al Balushi up, while third went to Ibrahim Aseel’s ES Rahmani, who was a further two and a quarter adrift with Dane O’Neill in the saddle.

Mullen won his second of the night in the 2200m handicap titled Wathba Stallions Cup with the Ahmed Al Mehairbi’s Jawal Al Reef, who took up the running 300m from home and managed to win by a neck from Musabbeh Al Mheiri’s Antonio Fresu ridden Dream De Montjoi. A length and a half back in third was Mohammed Daggash’s Dalil De Carrere with Pinheiro up.

The evening got underway with a 1200m maiden won by Ahmed Al Shehhi’s Majd Al Megirat with Sam Hitchcott up, while next to win were the jockey rider combine of Helal Alalawi and Pat Cosgrave, who claimed the 1600m handicap with Dassan Da.

De Vries completed his double in the last of six races that was dedicated to Thoroughbreds and contested again over 2200m. There with a peach of a ride he delivered success for Jaber Ramadhan with Harbour Spirit, who went forward with the 100m left to run and showed great determination to hold on by a head from the fast closing Welford trained by Satish Seemar and ridden by Tadhg O’Shjea. Ali Rashid Al Rayhi’s Jaaref with O’Neill up was a further length back in third.