Well-rested Dormello ready for Jebel Ali feature

It took 10 races for Dormello to win his first race since arriving from a campaign in the UK, but the bay son of Dansili can take off from where he left last season in Friday’s meeting at the Jebel Ali Racecourse.

Trained on the track by Dhruba Selvaratnam and ridden by Oisin Murphy, the stable jockey and the UK’s leading apprentice, Dormello’s form looks solid to land Race 3, the featured Shadwell Farm, with Dh120,000 prize over the 1,950 metres.

The race also includes last year’s first, second and third-placed finishers, the Satish Seemar-trained Farrier, Doug Watson’s Jutland and Tanfeeth trained by Musabah Al Muhairi.

“He [Farrier] goes particularly well at Jebel Ali,” stable jockey Richard Mullen said. “There may only be five runners, but it still looks competitive, but, having said that, we have to be very hopeful.

“Our horses have been in such great form it can only add to our confidence and he has always run well [when] fresh in the past. Hopefully he is the one they have to beat.”

Seemar is the leading trainer with 10 winners after his treble at Meydan last week.

Mullen, who rode all three winners for the Zabeel trainer, has 13 winners, two more than the UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea.

Jutland chased home Farrier last year when giving him weight but they meet at level weights this time.

Watson’s charge, the mount of Pat Dobbs, is also making his seasonal bow.

“Our horses have been running well on the whole, and Jutland seems in great shape at home,” the American said.

“He has run well fresh in the past and we have a weight swing with Farrier from 12 months ago.

“He goes well at Jebel Ali. This race has always been the original plan for the season. We are really looking forward to running him and expecting a big effort.”

Selvaratnam and Murphy has also got a strong hand in the main supporting event, the 1000-m conditions race with Sholaan, a winner twice on the track both over today’s trip and over 1,200m.

Al Muahiri’s Fityaan will be the main danger while Seemar and Mullen combine on Temple Meads, having only his second start on dirt and first outing since March 2013.

“Temple Meads has been off a fair while,” Mullen said. “However, as we saw last week our horses are capable of running well off a break and this fellow has been working well.

“He is a horse I know well from England and am delighted he has joined our yard.

“He has endured his share of problems but, fingers crossed; he will show his true colours this season.”

apassela@thenational.ae

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