Bhupat Seemar appointed trainer at Zabeel Stables

The head of the Dubai Racing Club (DRC) has welcomed Bhupat Seemar on his appointment as a resident trainer at the championship-winning Zabeel Stables.

Seemar brings with him a proven track record having enjoyed a highly successful debut season in 2021-2022 which culminated in him being crowned UAE Champion Trainer.

Seemar saddled 47 winners during the term and also collected a maiden Group 1 success when Switzerland won the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup night.

Originally from India, the 45-year-old Seemar had previously been an assistant trainer at the Dubai Racing Cub-managed Zabeel Stables for several years having joined the state-of-the-art training facility located in the heart of Dubai, over two decades earlier.

He gained experience working as an intern at Taylor Made Farms in the USA and also enjoyed a profitable spell as assistant to multiple Dubai World Cup-winning handler Bob Baffert.

Commenting on the appointment, Major General Expert Dr. Mohammed Essa Al Adhab, Board Member and General Manager of the Dubai Racing Club, said, “We are pleased with the appointment of Bhupat Seemar as a trainer at Zabeel Stables, which has a great record of achievements that enriched the local racing.

“Interestingly, Seemar has a blend of local and global experience that makes a perfect fit for maintaining the record of the stable and taking it to new heights.”

Seemar also made history of sorts when he saddled the first-ever Dubai-based runner in this year’s Group 1 Kentucky Derby when UAE Derby runner-up Summer Is Tomorrow contested the epic race at Churchill Downs.

“I am honoured to be the permanent trainer at Zabeel Stables, where I have worked for almost 20 years since arriving from California,” said Seemar.

“I am looking forward to the upcoming season as we have a great team behind us and some outstanding clients who have invested in some very good bloodstock from all over the world.”

Seemar’s team at Zabeel Stables — the jewel in the crown of Dubai’s racing stables — includes his wife Caroline, a key member of the work riding team, 10-time UAE Champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea and a vastly experienced team of stable hands.

The 2022-23 UAE racing season commences at Al Ain Racecourse on October 28, with the action moving to the flagship Meydan Racecourse a week later, on November 4.

The $30.5million Dubai World Cup meeting takes place on March 25, 2023.