Local apprentice Ahmed Ajtebi was in the saddle when trainer Mubarak Bin Shafya made a great start to his UAE campaign with Dubai Twilight running out the facile winner of the concluding 2000m handicap.

Beaming from ear-to-ear, Ajtebi said: “It’s great to have a winner for the team.

“I need five more to lose my apprentice claim and things are going really well.”

It was the trainer’s second runner of the night, with all six races kindly sponsored by Gulf News and his first, Bold Glance, had finished second in the preceding 1600m handicap.

That was won by Aamaaq, trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe and ridden by Royston Ffrench who were completing a double having also won the 1500m handicap with Dubai Dreamer.

Both horses had won on the opening night of the season and Al Raihe’s team are in great shape according to the jockey:

“That is a third Nad Al Sheba double of the season so we have to be happy. Aamaqq seems to be progressing nicely and Dubai Dreamer really digs deep.”

Gill Duffield saddled a notable 1-2 in the opening 1800m Purebred Arabian with Richard Mullen on Nesnaas denying Ted Durcan on stable companion Markoom who had won the equivalent race 12 months previously.

Duffield said: “I am delighted with both horses who have really run well.”

Erwan Charpy opened his account for the season when Street Talk, a full-brother to 2002 Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry, made a winning return to action in the 1600m maiden under Tadhg O’Shea.

It was only a second career start for the four-year-old and Charpy was pleased:

“It was a weak race and looked a perfect opportunity for him. “Hopefully he can progress from this and he could be a nice horse.”

Dhruba Selvaratnam’s Jaasoos and William Buick won the 1200m handicap in good style and Buick said: “That was a nice effort and the horse has come on a lot for his comeback a fortnight ago.”


Pick Six & Tri-Cast Results – Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, November 27, 2008

Tri-Cast for Races
Early Tricast – AED10,000 to one winner
Middle Tricast – AED5,000 to one winner
Late Tricast – AED13,000 to one winner

Pick Six Winners
5x6 = AED6,115 to 4 winners
4x6 = AED500 to 12 winners
3x6 = AED500 to eight winners

Raffle prize winner – Ford Focus – Ahmed Adamshareef.

For all the results from tonight’s meeting, please visit:

http://www.emiratesracing.com/eq/Results.cfm?racefile_id=7614