Seemar-O'Shea partnership hit pay dirt with classy Meydan three-timer

Dubai - In-form team uncover several Carnival hopefuls likes by Imperial Empire and Al Negud

The trainer-jockey pairing of Bhupat Seemar and Tadhg O’Shea took the spotlight at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday evening with a popular three-timer capped by Imperial Empire’s smart victory in the featured Czech Business Council Conditions Stakes Sponsored by Dubai Chamber.

Previously raced by Godolphin, Imperial Empire easily led off the final two furlongs to romp home a two and a quarter length winner, his second Dubai success of the season since joining the championship-winning Zabeel Stables.

The son of brilliant Darley sire Dubawi was an astute Dh460,00 acquisition at the 2020 ERA Racing in Dubai Sale by Al Kuwait’s Al Rashid Stables Llc. who are reaping the rewards of their smart investments.

“He’s just a very, very genuine horse with a huge pedigree,” said O’Shea. “With pedigrees like that who handles the dirt, they feel so comfortable to sit on. He won very easy so it's onwards and upwards. He has a nice future going forward.

“In all honesty of the bend, I thought the Shadwell horse (Khuzaam) would win. I looked to have my measure but to be fair when he (Imperial Empire) knuckled down and stuck his head out he began to travel so smoothly. He’s a bit of a fragile horse, he’s not been overraced.”

Carnival horse

Winning trainer Bhupat Seemar agreed with his jockey and said: “He’s a Carnival horse. He improved for his first run and looks to have a lot more to offer. So we are looking forward to seeing how far he can progress. Yes, he’s a very, very nice horse.”

Imperial Empire was the middle leg of the Seemar-O’Shea hat-trick which also included compelling wins by Summer Tomorrow in the 1,200 metre British Business Group Maiden Stakes Sponsored By Dubai Chamber and Al Nefud in the Netherlands Business Council Conditions Stakes Sponsored By Dubai Chamber, over a mile.

“We’ve got to think of the Carnival for of them,” said Seemar. “Regarding Summer Tomorrow we’ll look for some nice races for him. He’s got so much speed.”

O’Shea added: He’s such a lovely horse. We won’t be stretching him to the Al Bastakiyas or the Guineas Trial, that’s not his game. He’s all about speed, but he’s equally effective on turf. So we’ll have to see where he goes.

“He was an expensive purchase for the Burke family, but they were not afraid to put their hands in their pockets and I think they were rewarded with a really nice horse.”

An Dh426,000 purchase out of the ERA Racing in Dubai Sales in September by Al Rashid Stables Llc. Al Nefud easily looked the most impressive winner on the night.

O’Shea pushed him to lead at the 1,200 metre mark and the three-year-old son of Dubawi stretched out like a true champion to win by six and a quarter lengths from Atlantic Sky and Antonio Fresu.

First season victory for Uruguay

Meanwhile, rank outsider and Uruguayan-trained Quality Boone ran out a hugely impressive winner of the 1,400 metre CCI France UAE Handicap Sponsored By Dubai Chamber.

A three-year-old bred in Argentina, Quality Boone lived up to his name when displaying an extraordinary set of gears to come from the back of the field and run down Island Rule and Mayaadeen, who were one stage battling it out for the finish.

“He’s an improving horse,” said Brazilian jockey Vagner Leal, a former champion jockey in Sao Paulo. “He showed a lot of class today.”

The winner was trained by Antonio Centra Pereira, a former champion trainer in his native Brazil before moving to Uruguay. Cintra is no stranger to success in Dubai having won the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint in 2006 with Heart Aline and the Al Bastakiya Trial with El Patriota in February this year.