Hameem proved he will be a top contender for the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown after coming home an impressive winner of the prep race at Abu Dhabi's opening meeting of the season on Thursday.
Abdallah Al Hammadi’s five-year-old was in a class of his own under jockey Dane O’Neill racing him behind the Dubai Kahayla Classic runner up Kerless Del Roc, who tried to make all under Fernando Jara.
Jara’s mount tired at the furlong pole and eventually finished sixth with the fast finishing Ashton Tourettes (Pat Dobbs) and AF Al Bairaq (Tadhg O’Shea) taking second and third.
“My only worry was if he would stay the distance but he did stay and had plenty left towards the end. He should go well for the big race on December 4,” O’Neill said.
Al Hammadi is confident Hameem will kick on after his first run of the season and has no issues in taking his chance in the Jewel Crown.
“He’s shown plenty of ability from the start of his career and with lot of improvement to come, he certainly looks a star player from the stables,” the Al Abjan trainer said.
“We tried him on the dirt and he didn’t like that surface. We’ll try to keep him on the turf. His next objective is obviously the Jewel Crown and then we’ll take it from there on where he goes next.”
Results
5pm: Wadi Sidr – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner: Bahar Muscat, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Ghalilah – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Jalmood, Adrie de Vries, Mohamed Daggash
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Sail, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Shamakh, Pat Dobbs, Jean-Claude Picout
7pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Hameem, Dane O’Neill, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Taamol, Patrick Cosgrave, Ali Al Badwawi.
