At Meydan Racecourse, the Phi Advertising Handicap provided a fitting centrepiece to the closing meeting of the Carnival, with Archivist producing a polished performance to seal victory and round off a productive campaign for connections.
Trained by Hamad Al Jehani and carrying the colours of Wathnan Racing, the four-year-old returned from a short break in excellent condition after finishing third in the Lord Glitters Handicap last month. Making his first appearance in a hood, Archivist travelled smoothly throughout under Pat Dobbs before asserting decisively in the straight to secure the Phi Advertising Handicap by two and a quarter lengths from Indian Springs.
Dobbs, partnering the gelding for the first time, felt the equipment change had a clear impact on the horse’s demeanour and performance.
“I think the hood made a big difference,” Dobbs said. “He stayed calm beforehand and found a really good rhythm during the race. Once I asked him, he picked up strongly and finished the race well.”
Archivist Dominates the Phi Advertising Handicap
Positioned just behind the leading group in the early stages, Archivist travelled with purpose before stretching clear in the closing stages of the Phi Advertising Handicap, displaying both composure and a sharp turn of foot. The performance highlighted the consistent preparation by Al Jehani’s stable during the Carnival.
Elsewhere on the card, 12-time UAE Champion Jockey Tadhg O’Shea enjoyed a memorable evening with a double that strengthened the title ambitions of trainer Bhupat Seemar.
The second success came aboard Diamond Dealer in the Binghatti Handicap. Sitting just off the pace, the horse moved forward approaching the home turn and drew clear with authority, finishing three lengths ahead of Nam Phrik.
O’Shea was pleased with the continued progress shown by the improving runner.
“He’s having a terrific season,” O’Shea remarked. “He’s won at both Meydan and Jebel Ali and continues to improve with racing.”
The jockey’s earlier success came with Raasil in the ARN Maiden over 1400 metres on dirt. The three-year-old, a son of Tonalist, showed signs of inexperience in the straight but still found enough to secure his first career victory at the seventh attempt.
“He’s still learning,” O’Shea said with a smile. “Once he found daylight he ran on well and should improve further as he matures.”
The meeting also marked a strong conclusion to the Carnival for the training partnership of Simon Crisford and Ed Crisford. Their five-year-old Will Scarlet delivered an emphatic success in the 2410-metre Autism In Racing Handicap on turf.
Ridden confidently by Ray Dawson, the well-bred gelding set the pace before quickening from the 600-metre mark and maintaining a relentless gallop to score by four lengths from Spanish challenger Finely Tuned.
“He really enjoyed being out in front,” Dawson said afterwards. “Once he found his stride he kept going strongly all the way to the line.”
Another consistent performer this season, Lahfaty added a sixth career success in the Zoho Handicap over 1200 metres on dirt. Guided by Silvestre de Sousa for trainer Michael Costa, the mare dictated the pace before holding off Billy Webster by half a length.
There were emotional celebrations earlier in the evening when trainer Kareem Ramadan secured his first Meydan victory. His runner Blue Trail delivered a strong finishing effort in the ARN Handicap over 1800 metres, giving Brazilian jockey Francisco Leandro Goncalves his third win of the season.
“I only have seven horses in my stable,” Ramadan said afterwards. “So this win means a great deal for our entire team.”
Another milestone came when French jockey Jules Mobian celebrated his first Meydan success aboard Lahresh in the Phi Advertising Handicap over 1900 metres on dirt, narrowly edging Moon Blade in a tight finish.
The evening’s opening race also produced a notable result as jockey Charlie Bennett partnered the filly Turquoise to victory in the Arabian Triple Crown Round 2, reversing previous form with Amer Burn following their earlier clash in Abu Dhabi.
With the Phi Advertising Handicap providing one of the highlights of the evening through Archivist’s composed victory, attention now turns to the next major event on the calendar — the 30th Dubai World Cup meeting scheduled at Meydan later this month.
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