March 11, 2012 Abu Dhabi ~ Quite A Show lived up to his name at Abu Dhabi on Sunday evening by winning the featured Group 1 Liwa Oasis, the 1400m feature, with Tadhg O’Shea in the saddle for his main employer His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and trainer Doug Watson.
O’Shea, who is making a bold fist of reclaiming the Champion Jockey crown from last year’s title holder Wayne Smith, was perhaps slightly relieved to have won the big race on this occasion and explained: “We stumbled at the start which was far from ideal on a horse we tend to ride prominently but when we were able to get into contention he has really battled hard to win this. He has improved throughout the season and has not had that much racing so hopefully he can continue on an upward curve.”
The main support race was the Group 3 third and final round of the Arabian Triple Crown over 2400m and now all three rounds have supplied a different winner after the victory of Manisha.
The four-year-old filly has now won all three career starts for trainer Ernst Oertel. Royston Ffrench was in the saddle and said: “Having had a Super Saturday winner this is a great way to finish the weekend! This is a really nice filly who is learning all the time and can surely only get better as she is so immature at the moment. She could be a really nice for next season.”
Another jockey still revelling in Super Saturday victory was Gerald Avranche who, having won the Purebred Arabian Al Maktoum Challenge Round III on Nieshan at Meydan on Thursday for Eric Lemartinel, steered the same trainer’s Ibn Battuta Monlau to victory in the 2200m handicap.
The jockey said: “It has been a great weekend and this horse is a different prospect in these blinkers and would, probably, be even better over further.”
Jockey Wayne Smith was in double form with Bigg N Rich opening his account for the evening in a 1400m conditions race. He won well and Smith said: “He is a nice horse and [trainer] Julio [Peromingo] always thought a lot of him. He went to Saudi Arabia the other day and won there and has come back in great form. He travelled nicely and then showed a turn of foot which is not always the case with the Purebred Arabians.”
The jockey then completed his double with AF Sanadek in the 1400m handicap for trainer Eric Lemartinel and the ever modest jockey said: “He won that easily and was little more than a steering job!”
Racing concluded with the only Thoroughbred race, a 1600m handicap and Harry Bentley made virtually all on Montmorency for trainer Satish Seemar. Bentley said: “We had a good draw for a horse who likes to race close to the pace and he won well.”
The opening 1600m maiden was won by Shadan with Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle as they initiated a double for trainer Oertel. De Sousa said: “I have so enjoyed my first season in the UAE and am just so grateful to everybody at Godolphin for the chance. Spare rides like this are just a real bonus.”
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