De Vries completes superb hat-trick

Adrie De Vries was among the biggest winners yesterday at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in Riffa, riding three horses to victory, including Port Lions and Pulsar to lift two Cups of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.

The world-renowned Dutch jockey also won the Bahrain Derby riding Al Tariq to complete a fantastic hat-trick in one of the headlining meetings of the Kingdom’s horseracing season. In attendance at yesterday’s events were REHC High Committee Chairman His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Isa Al Khalifa; His Majesty the King’s Representative for Charity Work and Youth Affairs and Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Chairman His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa; REHC High Committee Deputy Chairman His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa; His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa; and other high-ranking VIPs. De Vries rode Port Lions to first place in the seventh and final race of the day, which was for one of the Cups of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

It covered a 10-furlong distance and it featured nine imported horses aged three years old and above. De Vries and Port Lions, owned by Victorious and trained by Hesham Al Haddad, completed the race in two minutes 01.437 seconds to claim the lion’s share of the staggering BD15,000 total prize. Rustang finished as the runner-up two lengths behind, competing for Al Adiyat Racing, Alan Smith and jockey James Doyle.

Victorious-owned entrants Jazeel and What A Welcome completed the top four, rounding out the race’s prize winners. Both are trained by Hesham Al Haddad, with Jazeel being ridden by Brett Doyle and What A Welcome by Paddy Mathers. In the day’s sixth race, also for a Cup of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and carrying another BD15,000 prize, De Vries was triumphant with Pulsar.

The sprint was over 10 furlongs with a field of eight locally bred horses three years old and above. De Vries steered Pulsar, owned by Abdulla Fawzi Nass and trained by Hesham Al Haddad, to first place in 2:04.487. They triumphed five lengths ahead of News Breaker, owned by Victorious, trained by Alan Smith and ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Daleel claimed third for His Highness Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, James Naylor and Andrew Elliott; whereas Retort was fourth for Victorious, Alan Smith and James Doyle. A third Cup for His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa was up for the taking in the day’s third race. It was over seven furlongs with a BD5,000 prize. Kuheilaan Aafas 1708 owned by Victorious, trained by Yousif Taher and ridden by Abdulla Faisal, was the winner in 1:37.013.

Kuheilaan Aafas 1695 was two lengths behind in second place for Al Wasmiya, Abdulla Kuwaiti and Brett Doyle. Third and fourth, respectively, were Kuheilaan Aafas 1675 for Al Wasmiya, Abdulla Kuwaiti and Andrew Elliott; and Al Jellaby 1544 for Victorious, Yousif Taher and Anas Al Siyabi. De Vries completed his hattrick of wins in the Bahrain Derby, which was yesterday’s fifth race, covering 10 furlongs with a BD6,900 total prize.

Five locally bred four-year-olds were in the fray, and De Vries rode Al Tariq to the win for owner Abdulla Fawzi Nass and trainer Hesham Al Haddad. They triumphed in 2:09.661, with a five-lengths gap in front of Daarej, competing for His Highness Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, Brett Doyle and James Naylor. Shawwash was third for Al Nuwayef Racing, Alan Smith and Frankie Dettori; while Raed came fourth for His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, James Naylor and Andrew Elliott.

The fourth race of the day was the Bahrain Oaks, sponsored by Al Muzdaher Stud and featuring locally bred four-year-olds. Sabreena won the event, held over nine furlongs and with a BD4,500 total prize. Ridden by Hussain Makki, Sabreena won in 1:51.676 for Victorious and Fawzi Nass. Sadara was the runner-up two-and-ahalf lengths behind, competing for His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, James Naylor and Brett Doyle; while Valentine was third for Abdulla Fawzi Nass, Hesham Al Haddad and Paddy Mathers.

Fourth was Maymuna, also owned by Abdulla Fawzi Nass, trained by Hesham Al Haddad and ridden by Marcialis Jaures. In the day’s first two races, Al Jellaby, owned by Al Mohamediya Racing, trained by Osama Hashim and ridden by Abdulla Faisal, won the Stewards Cup, held over eight furlongs and offering a BD5,000 total prize; whereas Roman River won the High Committee Cup for M and E Racing, Alan Smith and Hasan Al Mawali over a straight of six furlongs to take the biggest share of the BD5,000 prize.

HH Shaikh Abdulla, HH Shaikh Nasser, HH Shaikh Isa and HH Shaikh Mohammed at the races with other VIPs HH Shaikh Abdulla and HH Shaikh Nasser present one of the Cups at yesterday’s races HH Shaikh Nasser congratulates De Vries on Pulsar for their victory S