L’Amour De Ma Vie edges past Certify at Meydan

L’Amour De Ma Vie, ridden by Maxime Guyon, claims victory at Meydan on Thursday. — KT photo by Grace Guino

L’Amour De Ma Vie, ridden by Maxime Guyon, handed reluctant Certify her first career defeat in the 1800m TB Balanchine Group-2, the highlight of the seventh race-meeting at Meydan on Thursday night. Certify was reluctant to take her place in the stalls, and didn’t seem to be near to challenge throughout the nine furlongs trip.

“My mare didn’t run to her best on debut and she was a little bit slow when finished close to certify in the 1600m Cape Verdi last time out. She was suited with the extended distance,” said the winning jockey who was delighted to land his first win in Dubai.

The fourth race, a TB Handicap was contested over the Dubai World Cup distance and impressively won by the UAE Derby Group-2 runner up Elleval under the strong drive of Fregal Lynch. The four-year-old son of Kodiac earned his trainer David Mrnane his third Carnival success while having sumitted his credentials for a dream line up in the big race on the big night, the $10m Dubai World Cup Group-1 later next month.

Elleval finished three lengths and a quarter behind Gabrial on seasonal reappearance over a nine furlong trip on turf and didn’t show improvement when he returned to the track in a similar event. And the final decision was to send him to race on the tapeta over an extended difference where he has at last founded his strides.

Eastern Rules came with a late run under Shaine Foley to kick away from the leading pair and touch the line as the easiest of winners in the opening event, a 1400m TB Handicap (turf) sponsored by District One. Ridden by Shane Foley, the six-year-old son of Golden Snake cruised to his second Meydan’s win in three starts on the tapeta and turf surfaces. Sommerabend, ridden by Maxime Guyon, battled back to take second by a short-head in front of the mount of Christophe Soumillon, Zahee as the public choice Anaerobio (Patrick Cosgrave) was disappointingly fifth.

In the second race, the Norwegian contender Avon Pearl (Rune Haugen/ Patrick Dobbs) celebrated an exciting finish to claim the 1600m TB Handicap, the second race on the cards.

“We have raced him on turf last time out and finished less than two lengths off the pace behind Mont Ras, but he has apparently relished the tapeta,” the winning trainer said later.

Once again, the winner was outside the top four favourites. String Theory was fancied to win the race, but he did nothing to make his presence felt and dropped back to finish disappointingly in the 13^th position.

Medicean Man fought back reverse places with earlier conqueror Ahtoug in a tight finish to win the 1000m TB Handicap (turf) third race of the night. Harry Bentley was in the saddle and said: “He started well and travelled nicely. He fought back courageously and has won in good style.”