Willie Supple returned to the scene of some of his major victories in the Emirates with a winning treble at yesterday`s opening meeting at Jebel Ali.
Supple became champion jockey with a record breaking season in 1998/1999 when riding for Dhruba Selvaratnam at Jebel Ali Stables however that partnership ended at the end of the 1999/2000 season with Supple`s appointment as second rider for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
It was the Sheikh Hamdan-owned Moonis that provided Supple with the major win of the afternoon, the horse narrowly prevailing over leading sprinter Kharir, owned in similar interests, in the thoroughbreds Conditions event. Moonis was considered the second choice of the Sheikh Hamdan-owned pair with Richard Hills opting for Kharir, winner of the same event last season, when beating Abreeze.
Ironically, in this event last season Supple was aboard Try Prospect who was a late withdrawal after refusing to load into the stalls. Try Prospect returned to the racesin this Conditions event yesterday and jumped awkwardly bumping into stablemate Persuasivo Fitz, another returning after a long lay off.
Persuasivo Fitz got to the line well however to finish third and could be the horse to follow out of the event.
Champion Irish jockey Pat Smullen replaced Supple at Jebel Ali and he and Selvaratnam got their new partnership away when Meshty won the final event of the meeting, the horse defeating Aljjawarih.
Supple began the meeting with success aboard Octave for trainer Kieren McLaughlin, the trainer also securing a winning double, however a treble was denied him with the defeat of Kharir.
Supple`s treble was completed with the victory of the promising Martello Tower in the Maiden, Martello Tower running faster time than the 00-80 handicap half an earlier, won in very surprising fashion by Bin Cyclone and was only eight tenths of a second outside the course record set by Indian Rocket in the Jebel Ali Sprint in February 1998.
Darren Biggs, who enjoyed a good season in 1999/2000, also got his 2000/2001 season underway with victory aboard Mufaq in the opening event for PurebredArabians.
