It took more than two decades for Tadhg O'Shea to win the Dubai World Cup.
And having realised that dream with the Bhupat Seemer-trained Laurel River in the silks of the Saudi owners Juddmonte Farms last year, the Irishman is hoping that he does not have to wait that long for another, come April 5.
With Laurel River out of the race after a training setback, the UAE-based jockey has a tough decision to make in choosing the right horse of the two Zabeel Stables entries in the $12 million race run over the 2,000-metre dirt track at Meydan.
O'Shea must decide between Walk Of Stars and Imperial Emperor, on whom he won the Group 2 Al Maktoum Classic on Super Saturday to claim a direct spot in the Dubai World Cup.
Before that, he steered Walk Of Stars to win the Group 1 Al Maktoum – ahead of Imperial Emperor.
However, Walk Of Stars was subsequently unplaced behind Japan’s Forever Young in the $20 million Saudi Cup last month even though he was an impressive winner over Imperial Emperor before that over the 1,900m distance at Meydan.
“I’ll have to decide which horse to ride of the two after a final spin close to the Dubai World Cup. Hopefully, I’ll be atop the right horse on the day,” O’Shea told The National.
“The Dubai World Cup is a prize that I always dreamt of since I made my base in Dubai. Firstly, just be in the race, and finally to win was an absolutely proud moment.
“It has opened my eyes to wanting to win another one because I know how long it took me to finally win it. So hopefully I don’t have to wait long for the next.”
O’Shea is a true legend of the turf in the UAE with records that will be hard to beat. He already has 12 UAE jockey’s titles and is the all-time leading rider in the country with 826 winners.
He also has the honour of being only the second jockey after Richard Hills to win both the Dubai World Cup and the Dubai Kahayla Classic, the unofficial Dubai World Cup for the Purebred Arabians.
O’Shea rode Eric Lemartinel’s Mizzna in the silks of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed to win the Kahayla in 2008, which incidentally was his first Group 1 career success.
He won the prize again on Ernst Oertel’s AF Maher for Emirati owner breeder Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah in 2019.
“The first time I won on Mizzna, I was led into the winner’s enclosure by the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, although it was owned by Sheikh Mansour,” he said.
“It was he who provided me with the opportunity to come and ride in the UAE as part of a scholarship award for the Irish champion apprentice in 2001. So, I’m forever indebted to him for what I have achieved.”
After a memorable Dubai World Cup last year, winning two Group 1 prizes with Laurel River and Tuz in the Dubai Golden Shaheen, O’Shea has six rides this time around.
He kicks off with Oertel’s AF Maqam in the silks of Al Naboodah in the opening Arabian showpiece followed by the first of five rides for Seemar, Trafalgar Square, in the Dubai Gold Cup.
Of the two Zabeel Stables runners in the Godolphin Mile, O'Shea is likely to ride Mufasa oover Galactic Star in the UAE Derby, and Tuz in the Golden Shaheen.
“Tuz is an amazing horse. He’s been a great horse for the whole stable and beautifully prepared every time by Bhupat and the team,” O’Shea said of the eight-year-old Oxbow gelding.
“It looks a very good race with the Breeders' Cup and Saudi Cup winner Straight No Chaser in there. Tuz may to have to put on his extra-fast shoes. So, we're looking forward to it. He's probably better this year than he's ever been, so long may it continue.”
For O’Shea, who is completing his 24th season in the UAE, it has been an incredible journey.
In the jockey’s championship race, he is currently four winners behind Silvestre De Sousa. He has the Dubai World Cup meeting followed by Al Ain and Abu Dhabi in April 10 and 12 respectively to overtake the Brazilian and win a record-extending 13th UAE title.
De Sousa rides for Emirati trainer Musabah Al Muhairi as well as for Yas Racing, which is the Purebred Arabian powerhouse of Sheikh Mansour.
“He's got a lot of rides to choose from and very good horses, so makes my life hard,” O’Shea said.
“Looking back, to win the jockey’s title was always the dream when I was sitting seventh or eighth and ninth and 10th in the standings in those early days. My goal was to be in top spot one day, so to win 12 now, it's pinch yourself stuff.”
Despite the success, O’Shea remains one of the busiest riders and is as hungry as ever.
“Look, I have a great will to win,” he said. “You need a very good work ethic. You need to be very, very dedicated. And you need to be very hungry for success. So all of those contributions are still intact.
“So, yeah, as I said, it's been an amazing journey. It's been an amazing city. And let's hope we can get a few more World Cup winners on the CV and a few more jockey’s championships.”
O’Shea is aware how difficult it is to reach the career highs that he has – and then stay there.
“I suppose it's like the alpha male in any pack in the wild,” he added. “If they get the top spot they don't like to let it go to another alpha. So it makes me get up in the morning and remain hungry and remain motivated.
“I ride for great people and you know their horses are turned out impeccably well and I try to steer them around and have as little mistakes as possible.
“It's been a great journey and I've met some lovely people over the years and I seem to have a great following, especially when I'm winning.
“So we're very grateful for all the support and I really do think with support like this it does motivate me going forward.
“I've been very lucky; my wife Debbie and two kids Darragh and Aaron are fully committed to me and fully committed to the job I have and the sacrifices I have to make from time to time. And without a good family behind you, it's not possible either.
“I don't know if my kids, now 12 and 14, will become jockeys, but they're super interested in it. They really get behind me now, and they're very knowledgeable in all the horses I'm riding, which makes it great, because we've always something to talk about in the O'Shea household.”
