Seemar And O'shea Shine At Meydan As Underdogs Steal The Spotlight

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The curtain came down on the 2025-2026 Dubai Racing Carnival at Meydan Racecourse on Friday night with a memorable eight-race card that mixed established champions with emotional breakthrough victories.

Champion trainer Bhupat Seemar and stable jockey Tadhg O'Shea once again demonstrated why they have been one of the dominant forces in UAE racing, combining for a decisive double on a dramatic evening just weeks before the 30th Dubai World Cup on March 28.

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However, while the championship pairing set the tone, the final meeting of the Carnival also shone a spotlight on several lesser-known riders and trainers whose victories made the night particularly special.

Among the most emotional moments came in the third race when small-scale trainer Kareem Ramadan celebrated his first victory of the season, and his first ever at prestigious Meydan. Ramadan trains just seven horses, making the success of Blue Trail in the 1800-metre ARN Handicap a particularly meaningful achievement.

Ridden by Brazilian jockey Francisco Leandro Goncalves, the former course record holder over 2000 metres, who previously won four starts when raced by Godolphin stables, produced a strong finish to defeat Tohoku by two lengths.

It marked only the third victory of the season for Goncalves, who built a successful career in Argentina before seeking new opportunities in the UAE.

“He's a very good horse, I'm very happy,” he said.“It's very emotional, thanks to the team.”

Ramadan could barely contain his joy.

“We did it, my boy did it!” he said.“I have just seven horses, only four Thoroughbreds, so this is really big for us.”

In a sport dominated by powerhouse stables, Ramadan's small-yard victory at Meydan stands as a powerful reminder that determination can still upset the giants of UAE racing.

Earlier in the evening, British jockey Charlie Bennett also enjoyed a memorable moment when he partnered Turquoise to victory in the opening Arabian Triple Crown Round 2.

The win carried added significance for Bennett, whose career was once in doubt after a devastating race fall in 2016. His determination to return to the saddle has made him one of racing's most admired comeback stories.

“I'm not 100 per cent sure what happened last time, maybe she wasn't at her best,” Bennett said.

“We usually just let her sit where she's comfortable, but I wanted to have Tadhg in my sights as I thought on paper there were only four that could win. She didn't quite fire last time, but she did it well today, so it's good news for the future.”

While emotional wins captured the imagination, Seemar and O'Shea quietly went about their business with trademark efficiency.

The double began when the inexperienced Raasil finally opened his account in the ARN Maiden over 1400 metres on dirt, with a comfortable win over Australian handler Michael Costa's Waheeh.

“He's like his rider; he's a big baby!” joked O'Shea. The 12-time UAE champion jockey.“He jumped OK and kinda put the brakes on, he got a little bit intimidated, but once I got him in the clear in the straight, he ran on well.”

Seemar and O'Shea's second victory came in the closing Binghatti Handicap, where Diamond Dealer produced a powerful performance to secure his fourth win of the season.

“He's a horse on the up, and he has a big pedigree... He's numerically our winning most horses for the season now,” said the Irish rider who has been a dominant force in the UAE riding ranks for close to two decades.

Elsewhere on the card, Qatar's Wathnan Racing stable continued a successful Carnival campaign when Archivist landed the feature Phi Advertising Handicap, bringing their tally to nine winners from 40 runners in their debut UAE season.

The victory added to an already memorable year for the operation, which famously captured the $12 million Dubai World Cup in 2025 with Hit Show.

Lahfaty has been a reliable mare for Michael Costa this season, and she collected career win number six in the Zoho Handicap, race six, over 1200metres on dirt, while an outstanding Carnival for father/son training partnership Simon and Ed Crisford concluded with the victory of Will Scarlet in the 2410metre turf Autism In Racing Handicap.

Friday's Carnival finale also saw French rider Jules Mobian notch his first Meydan victory in the 1900-metre Phi Advertising Handicap with Lahresh.

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