Bochart proves his mettle with a tough win

Fan-favourite Bochart put up a tenacious display of front-running to win the Shadwell handicap, the feature event at Jebel Ali Racecourse’s penultimate meeting of the 2021-2022 season on Saturday.

With Dubai World Cup-winning rider Fernando Jara in the irons, the nine-year-old son of Dubawi characteristically dominated his rivals from the start of the mile before he held on for a neck victory from the late closing Verbotim, the mount of Pat Dobbs.

Three-times Jebel Ali scorer Almoreb was a length and a quarter back, in third.

Bochart, who spent his early career with Godolphin, was a contender for the People’s Choice Award at the HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Horseracing Excellence Awards.

Commenting on the decision to run Bochart at Jebel Ali and over a mile, trainer Bhupat Seemar said: “He’s a lovely horse. The old legs are getting a bit slower so we had to change something with him. I think he was getting a bit tired of sprinting so we thought we’d run him over a mile and this race came up.

“He dominated like he usually does at the front and he’s hard to peg back.

He’s a nine-year old but he’s got some enthusiasm still left in him. He’s a sound horse and has given us so many wins.”

Jara, who has been picking up some nice spare rides, added: “He seemed to enjoy himself out in front and really tried hard for me. I am delighted for his connections.”

If Dobbs was denied in the feature, he made no mistake earlier when partnering King Of The Nite to record a convincing victory in the 1400m maiden for Doug Watson. The four-year-old gelding snapped a four-race losing streak.

Winning handler Watson commented: “Pat gave him a great ride and was able to get across to the rail which helped. He is probably going to be 1200m horse but we now at least know he handles conditions here which opens up options.”

Emirati handler Salem bin Ghadayer was the only professional to land a double on Saturday, the first of which came with Honourable Justice in a 1400 metre handicap. It was a second win for the son of Majesticperfection at Jebel Ali, the first of which came in December 2020.

Ffrench said: “He did that well today and it is nice to get his head back in front because he is genuinely consistent and rarely runs a bad race.

Ffrench and bin Ghadayer completed the double in the concluding 1950m maiden, with First Of November

Earlier in the afternoon, Dignity Joy broke his maiden after 12 tries, in the hands of in-form rider Antonio Fresu. The winner was trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri.

Fresu said: “He has always had ability, this horse, but it has just taken a while to get a win with him. We had a good draw which helped and he did it well.”

The only Purebred Arabian race on the card, the opening 1400m handicap for horses foaled locally, went the way of AF Kal Noor and Tadhg O’Shea, riding in the colours of his main employer, Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda and the owner’s principal trainer, Ernst Oertel.

O’Shea said: “He won well in a maiden on his only other start here and worked well here on Monday so we were expecting a big run and he did not disappoint.”