Sunday’s penultimate and one of the best fixtures of Abu Dhabi’s entire season ˜was highlighted by the 2200m Group 1 Emirates Championship, worth AED1 million and it produced a thrilling finish with Harrab denying Jawal Al Reef in the shadow of the post.

The pair had traded the lead throughout the final 200m but it was Al Wathba Racing's horse who prevailed under Bernardo Pinheiro for Majed Al Jahoori.

Pinheiro had closed rapidly leaving the back straight and his mount responded to every urging throughout the straight.

Homebred, the 7yo entire was winning for the third time, all in the UAE and twice here at Abu Dhabi, including on his local debut in the Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown R2, over this 2200m, in March 2019.

Pinheiro, completing a double, said: "I have a contract with the trainer this year so I am delighted to win this big race for them and this is a lovely horse.
"I was confident on the home turn and, although it was close, I knew we had won crossing the line."

Riding for Abu Dhabi Racing and Mohamed Daggash, Pinheiro sent Sharkh  for home at the top of the straight in the 2200m handicap and the result was never in doubt pretty much thereafter, the pair wining easily.

Settled just behind early leader No Riesgo Al Maury, that was probably the only rival they saw throughout the contest and they shot past him with just over 400m remaining.

A 6yo entire, he was registering his third career victory but first since a similar handicap, over the same track and trip, late last January.

Pinheiro said: "The trainer was confident in his chances and I was happy to track the early leader before going for home on a horse we know stays well."

Over the same 2200m as the Purebred Arabian feature, the Thoroughbred equivalent, the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship looked set to be a landmark occasion when Uruguay's Ajuste Fiscal shot clear at the top of the straight only to tire in the final stages and get picked off by Naser Askar's Law Of Peace, saddled by Bhupat Seemar and completing a double on the card for Antonio Fresu.

It was a fourth victory this year and third consecutive success for the 5yo Shamardal gelding following a pair of 1600m Meydan wins, the first on dirt, more recently on turf.

Also over 2200m, a 4yo Prestige contest, the UAE Arabian Derby, was won in scintillation fashion by Haroon, produced to lead close home by Fresu for The Omani Cavalry and completing a double for Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

Previously a maiden after just two 1800m starts, one apiece on the Meydan and Al Ain dirt tracks, he was fourth at the former, third at the latter and clearly relished this change of surface and extra stamina test.

A long way off the early pace, he responded in style to Fresu's urgings, quickening nicely while still showing his inexperience, to pass both AF Mualami and Sultana in the final 50m. The latter was very short of room, between the other pair, approaching the line.

The 1400m handicap for horses in private ownership was won relatively comfortably by Astral Del Sol, apprentice Sean Kirrane in the saddle for Ali Haddad and Al Hadhrami.

Settled just behind the early leaders, Kirrane made a decisive move leaving the home turn, pulling his mount wide and he found a willing partner, the pair quickening to the front inside the final 275m with the race soon in safekeeping.

The 5yo entire was winning for the fourth time and second locally, both this season over course and distance with Kirrane in the saddle on each time.

Kirrane said: "He can be a bit tricky at the start but he has ability and he did that nicely in a better race then the one I won on him before."

For horses foaled in the UAE, the opening 1600m maiden went to AF Layth, Tadhg O'Shea in the saddle for Ernst Oertel and Khalid Khlaifa Al Nabooda, the widest draw in 16 and needing a new shoe at the start not proving too major an inconvenience.

It was hard work though with the pair locked in battle throughout the final 300m with ES Sudani who was probably only headed in the very final strides.

A homebred 5yo entire, AF Layth was making it third time lucky having finished fourth over 1200m on debut at Jebel Ali at the end of January and finished second over 1400m here in the capital just six days ago.

O'Shea said: "Pulling a shoe on the way to the start was not ideal but he is a tough horse and we were reasonably confident after a big run last week. The worries were the quick return to the track and the draw in 16 but he has overcome both."