After exciting Purebred Arabian RB Rich Lyke Me produced a debut win at the Group 2 Baniyas last month, Bahraini trainer Fawzi Nass introduced another classy thoroughbred prospect at Meydan’s fourth race meeting on Thursday.
Shahama, a $425,000 purchase and half-sister to five-time all-weather/dirt Group 1 winner Lookin At Lucky, made a sensational racecourse debut by sealing an impressive win.
Ridden by Adrie de Vries, she came home nine lengths clear of closest challenger — Doug Watson’s Minwah — in the Mina Hamriya, a fillies’ maiden, run over 1,400 metres.
“She’s been jumping around back home but I didn’t expect her to do what she did tonight, but expected her to give us a good run,” Nass said.
“I flew in yesterday to see her run. She’s a very quick learner. She has a very good head on her, which is always a help. I was surprised how quick she has turned around.
“The plan was get her into the UAE 1000 Guineas Trials [in January] after this, expecting she will get placed in this race, but now she has to go straight into that race.”
Watson landed the next two prizes with Sendeed and Mubakker under jockeys Pat Dobbs and Dane O’Neill, respectively.
The two winners took the seven-time UAE champion trainer’s tally to 18 and to the top of the championship chart.
The Sharmadal gelding tracked the leader Untold Secret before taking up the running on the home stretch to win by a length and-a-half from Zero To A Hundred in the third race.
O’Neill produced a well-timed run on Mubakker in the DP World UAE Sprint, the feature prize of the six-race card.
“I have ridden and won on him twice in England on the all-weather, and he’s a good mover and from day-1 when Doug had him, they were pleased as he always done his work well,” O’Neill said of the five-year-old-Speightstown gelding.
“He ran a very good race on his first local start last season but unfortunately the season got over for him. He has had his work very good this season and won on his second local start pretty comfortably tonight.”
Bhupath Seemar also completed a double on the night, taking his tally to six since taking out his trainer’s license last month.
Sean Kirrane steered Al Maroom to victory in the second race and stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea on board Discovery Island was a comfortable winner of the concluding handicap.
Results
6.35pm Mina Hamriya — Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Shahama, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer)
7.10pm Jafza — Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Al Maroom, Sean Kirrane, Bhupath Seemar
7.45pm Mina Rashid — Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Sendeed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.20pm DP World UAE Sprint — Rated Conditions (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Mubakker, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
8.55pm Jebel Ali Port — Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner Moqarrab, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.30pm Marfa Deira — Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner Discovery Island, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupath Seemar
