10.03.2017

FRENCH TRAINERS BASED IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Éric Lemartinel - trainer at Al Asayl, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahya’s private training center

The French Purebred Arabian. – How do you judge the performance of your two horses, Mahbooba and RB Dixie Burning, in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round III (Gr. I PA)?

Éric Lemartinel. – Mahbooba (9th) started slowly once again and it is too difficult to comeback on Meydan’s track, especially with all the projections. We will have to work on the start. Whereas RB Dixie Burning (5th), was put behind horses at the start of the final straight behind Handassa and could not get out. She could have finished second, at the worst. It wasn’t that tough for her, we should run the Dubai Kahayla Classic with her. Mahbooba will go back to Abu Dhabi’s turf, where she should run the Emirates Championship (Gr. I PA) on the 19th March.

What is your overview of this season?

 I am currently second of the trainers, but there are still some racing days and I hope to win other races to finish first. We won nice races except at the beginning of December when the horses wereout of shape. We won the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (Gr. I PA). We weren’t very lucky in the President Cup (Gr. I PA), but we have had a good year with more winners than last year. It is nice.

Do you have in your stables particularly estimated horses?

Yes, I have a few 3yos who should be good next year, especially Amwaj FR (Abu Alemarat), Tahany FR (Munjiz) and Mawahib FR (Abu Alemarat). They all finished in this order in the Arabian Triple Crown Round I (L PA), but they came across a tough horse, Maisoor GB (Burning Sand). I also have Darius du Paon FR (No Risk Al Maury) who has two consecutive wins on Al Ain's dirt track.