It might not have been a Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting, but it certainly felt like one as recent Carnival winner Law Of Peace made it two wins in a row, taking the featured Graduate Stakes (Sponsored by Nakheel) at Meydan’s final domestic meeting of the season.
Trained by Bhupat Seemar for Naser Askar, Law Of Peace has now more than repaid his AED120,000 price tag and he followed up last week’s dirt win with one on turf. Ridden by Tadhg O’Shea, the five-year-old once again came from the rear of the field and stayed on well to beat First Winter by a length and a quarter.
“There are lots of bad things happening in the world at the moment, so I was very grateful to get back on a horse,” said O’Shea, returning from an enforced break due to Covid isolation. “He [Law Of Peace] ran well off his revised mark; especially coming back after just six days. He’s a horse who has tried and tried all season.”
O’Shea later completed a double, guiding Zero To A Hundred to his second career success, and first on turf, in the closing 1600metre Palm Tower Handicap.
A consistent sort, the six-year-old was third over 1900metres last time out and seemed to enjoy the lesser distance here, beating the improving Gareth by three-quarters of a length.
That was the final leg of a treble for Championship-leading trainer Bhupat Seemar, who also sent out Twelfthofneverland for an unlikely victory in the Club Vista Mare Handicap, over 1900metres on dirt. The six-year-old was running for the first time since April but was produced with admirable timing by apprentice Sean Kirrane, outbattling Woodditton by a short head.
The win was a seventh of the season for jockey Kirrane, who was impressed by his mount’s tenacity.
“I didn’t think he’d battle back for me like that; first time back after a long layoff,” he said. “He’s a really big horse and he carries a lot of condition, so I thought it might take a run or two to get to 100 per cent, so credit to the horse.
“He produced a bit of gate speed this evening and my instructions were not to take him back if that was the case. I had a lovely position the whole way around with no kickback and then he really battled well for me.”
The most exciting winner of the evening might have come in the opening The Pointe Conditions Stakes, for three-year-olds over 1400metres on turf. It saw Saeed Bin Suroor unveil a pair of Shadwell-owned colts, Monadaah and Moqadar, and the former made a striking impression on debut. Ridden by Jim Crowley, Monadaah travelled on the heels of the leaders and shot clear in taking fashion, beating Silver Jubilee by four and a half lengths.
“When I saw Saeed [Bin Suroor] before the race he said he liked him,” said Crowley. “He was running over a bit short in trip and he was drawn in 10, but he felt very comfortable sitting three-wide the whole way. He picked up well and I’d say there’s plenty of improvement in him.
“He galloped out past the line extremely well and he’ll probably be a better horse as he steps up in distance.”
The biggest surprise of the day came in the second race, the Palm West Beach Maiden over 1800metres on turf. Light Beam had been pulled up two starts ago and was twelfth last time but it all came together for him here and he responded well when Ray Dawson kicked for home soon after the bend, powering clear from the chasing Endifaa.
“Ahmad [Bin Harmash] has obviously found the key to him,” said winning jockey Dawson. “The blinkers today have obviously worked. He gave me a good feel, he won going away and he was hard to pull up as well. Maybe he just needed a little bit of confidence.”
Confidence is rarely a problem for the Rashed Bouresly team and their bold approach to race planning once again paid off as Davy Lamp landed the View At The Palm Handicap, over 1400metres on dirt. Ridden by Fernando Jara, the seven-year-old recorded just his second career win, hammering stablemate Tabarak by four and a half lengths.
“I was a little bit worried as he ran just last Sunday, and sometimes these races take a bit out of them,” said Jara. “But he was ready today and won it nicely.”
Out of luck with Endifaa, trainer Fawzi Nass bagged a win of his own later on when Madkal took the Palm Fountain Handicap, over 1200metres on dirt.
Drawn in three, the six-year-old and Adrie de Vries went the shortest route around on the inside rail, finding the gaps when they needed them and easily accounting for Ranaan by a length and a quarter.