Jebel Ali Review Friday, January 21st
By Martin Talty
Hattab, once thought to be written off as a racing proposition, staked his claim for champion sprinting honours in the UAE this season and laid claim to the US$1million Listed Dubai Golden Shaheen after his demolition of a quality field at Jebel Ali on Friday.
Hattab had an enforced 12 month break from racing and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin admitted after the race that retirement plans were well in place however it was decided to give the horse another chance in training.
Hattab brilliantly returned to form on his last start and he carried right on with that at Jebel Ali, going right away to win a very competitive sprint field by eight lengths.
Behind him were last season's Listed Nad Al Sheba Sprint winner Ramp And Rave and Caballero, who finished a narrow second to Snow Kid in the Al Shindagha Sprint at Nad Al Sheba on his previous run.
'This horse had two operations and was going to be retired but he is back now and in form,' McLaughlin said. I couldn't be happier with him. He will come back here next month for the Jebel Ali Sprint and then there is the Dubai Golden Shaheen.'
'The Dubai Golden Shaheen is going to attract a quality group of international horses but if this horse is doing well I'd love to take a shot at it.'
The Listed Dhs350,000 Jebel Ali Sprint is run on February 18th and the Listed US$1million Dubai Golden Shaheen is run on Dubai World Cup Day.
For Hattab's jockey Richard Hills, it continued a successful weekend, the jockey riding Al Sakbe to win the opening round of the Purebred Arabian Maktoum Challenge the previous evening at Nad Al Sheba and this was the second leg of a winning treble, all horses owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
On either side of Hattab's victory Hills was successful aboard Marawis for Satish Seemar and Arabian, who made it four wins in a row for leading trainer Paddy Rudkin. It also brought up a winning double for Rudkin as he prepared Handsome Singer to win the previous event, the horse ridden by Neil Pollard.
Last season's champion jockey Willie Supple won the Maiden on the Kris four-year-old Afreet while this season's leading jockey Ted Durcan continued his good form with a victory aboard the Purebred Arabian Nyatih.
