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Racing in Al Ain on Saturday was officially highlighted by the Al Ain Derby, a Prestige contest over 1800m for the 4yo Classic generation for which a select field of five faced the starter and Yas Xmnsor proved a class above his four rivals.
Saddled by Khalifa Al Neyadi for Mohammed Abdlhamid Abdullatif Taha, the colt was partnered by Omani apprentice Saif Al Balushi, the pair following up their 1600m Emirates Colts Classic success, also a Prestige race, on the Abu Dhabi turf as recently as Monday.
He has now won thrice, each of his three most recent outings, a sequence which began here at Al Ain in a 1400m maiden in early January. That was his fourth career outing so he has now won half of his six racecourse appearances.
The main support race was a good quality 1600m handicap in which Mohammed Rashid Al Saadi's Asif was soon in front under Tadhg O'Shea and the pair stayed there, the jockey completing a double for both himself and trainer Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
Ridden clear leaving the home turn, Asif galloped on resolutely all the way to the line and was always holding off first Farasah and then a very late challenge from Oxford who had raced in last throughout the first half of the contest before staying on strongly but too late.
Il Hadhrami's charge, a winner in Muscat on debut, his only start in Oman, in March 2020, has now won half of his ten career starts, this being a fourth Al Ain success on his sixth visit.
Thirty minutes earlier, a lesser 1600m handicap had seen Antonio Fresu deliver Jood to lead in the dying strides for Al Hadhrami and owner Saoud Ali Mohammed Arar Al Dhaheri.
It was a good effort from the 5yo mare, successfully conceding weight to all her nine rivals, doubling both her own tally as well as her owner's in the process. She has now won twice after nine starts.
For horses in private ownership, the opening 1800m handicap was won in determined fashion by AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O'Shea in the saddle for his main employer Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda and the Champion Owner's principal trainer Ernst Oertel.
The pair led at the top of the long straight and soon had most of their 14 rivals in trouble, the exception being RB Kings Bay who probably led entering the final 200m but was unable to repel the renewed effort of O'Shea and his willing mount.
Homebred, the 6yo entire has now won four times, all this season. This was his seventh start in a busy campaign which began at Sharjah in late October.
Trained locally by Helal Alalawi, Megtah Albahar was far too good for 14 rivals in a 1600m maiden, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi sporting the silks of The National Stables, the handler's base, to an easy victory.
It was a deserved success at the fifth attempt for the 4yo colt who had finished runner-up on both his previous dirt outings, as well as third on the Abu Dhabi turf when last seen in public on Monday.
Always travelling strongly for Al Balushi, they settled the race in a few strides with about 350m remaining, soon surging clear to win in style.
The final two races were divisions of the same 1400m maiden for horses foaled in the UAE, the first going to AF Al Sanaa despite him drifting to the nearside rail under Sandro Paiva, supplying both trainer Hamza Al Hamida and owner Rashed Saeed Mohammed Abdulla Almazourei their first UAE winners.
The 6yo entire was opening his own account at the eighth attempt, his best previous effort having been when second in a maiden over 1000m here at Al Ain on his final start of last season in April.
The second division and final race on the card provided O'Shea the perfect opportunity to bookend the fixture for Al Nabooda and Oertel, leading close home aboard AF Hakooma, a 5yo homebred entire having just his second career start.
On his belated debut, three weeks ago at Jebel Ali, he was well beaten in sixth over 1200m.
All seven races were for Purebred Arabians.
