Tadhg O’Shea may be the most successful jockey in UAE horse racing history with eyes on a record-extending 11th championship title but insists everyone is "back to zero" with the new season already underway.
O'Shea, 40, picked up win No 731 last weekend when he was first past the post aboard Perfect Balance but trails Connor Beasley and Ryan Curatolo, who are on three wins each followed by Brazilians Bernardo Pinheiro and Sandro Paiva with two winners apiece after two meetings
Irishman O'Shea goes into the second weekend with four rides in the seven-race card at Al Ain on Friday and all seven races at Jebel Ali’s first meeting of the season on Saturday.
“I'm well aware we're all back to zero and that’s what drives me at the beginning of every season to get some wins on the board for the stables and of course stay healthy and in one piece,” O’Shea told The National.
The UAE remains O'Shea's base. He is the stable jockey for Seemar at Zabeel Stables and the retained rider for Emirati owner-breeder Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah, whose Purebred Arabians are trained by Ernst Oertel.
“I’m very fortunate to be first jockey for Al Naboodah. I have ridden a lot of winners for him and hopefully that would continue for the season. Ernst has the horses in great shape and is really looking forward to it.
“They have the same number of around 80 horses in training and obviously the early races are to see the conditions of the horses and the distances and everything.”
O’Shea’s preparation for the UAE season has been like every other season. He arrived early October after a summer back home in Ireland. He also travelled to India to ride there for first time.
“I kept busy throughout the summer, riding some Arabians, and thoroughbreds for [owner] Jimmy Long back home.
“I went to India for a week so only home for two-and-a-half months and it went quite quickly. It's hard to believe I’m back and the season here is on. I went there but had to come back early due to family commitments.
“I hope to return to India again in the upcoming seasons. I was greeted there by some lovely people and I thoroughly enjoyed it all even if it was only for a week.
“I rode one weekend and had five rides and a couple of placed horses ... so we'll have to go back.”
O’Shea will be riding some new and exciting horses for both the Zabeel Stables and the Arabians for Al Naboodah.
“I think the main thing of every season is to get aboard younger thoroughbreds and younger Arabians,” he said.
“It's very exciting to ride as we don’t test them at home. There are also some very well-bred horses there and really looking forward to that.”
