ABU DHABI // Stripped of her victory in the first round of the Arabian Triple Crown after testing positive for prohibitive substance furosemide in her post-race urine sample, Nymphea Du Paon returns to contest the middle leg of the series on Sunday at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. The Arabian Triple Crown Round 2 for four year olds has drawn 11 runners and is the feature event of the six-race card that also includes a race for thoroughbreds, the Abu Dhabi Championship Prep. Nymphea Du Paon, already a winner of a Group 2 prize in France before arriving at the Al Asayl Stables in the summer, starts as favourite for the Group 2 prize in Abu Dhabi. The Mahabb filly was an impressive winner of the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship on her local debut and was first past the winning post in her next start, both over the 1,600-metre distance. Ernst Oertel, her handler, admitted a breach of the Emirates Racing Authority rules that he negligently failed to enter into the Official Medication Log Book, treatment given to Nymphea Du Paon. “She is certainly a smart filly and has done nothing but please us since she arrived,” the UAE champion trainer said. “We hope she will stay 2,200m and she has a touch of class, which will stand her in good stead. She does have to give weight to some useful rivals, including colts, which is never ideal, but hopefully her undoubted class will be key.” AF Al Hazer, awarded the opening round of the Arabian Triple Crown when Nymphea Du Paon was disqualified, heads the field in the Emirates Colts Classic, the second race on the card. The Ibrahim Al Hadrami-trained grey colt by AF Al Buraq was subsequently beaten in the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club Gold Cup, but he will still be hard a strong contender for the Dh100,000 prize under Royston Ffrench. Satish Seemar has entered five in the concluding race for thoroughbreds and Inthar, a course and distance winner, is the choice of stable jockey Richard Mullen. Erwan Charpy has two in the race with Amaan and Sefri, both in the silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, and they are expected to go close over the 2,200m trip. Amaan was previously a runner-up to Inthar in Abu Dhabi and Paul Hanagan, the owner’s first jockey, is onboard the five-year-old chestnut son of Nayef. apassela@thenational.ae
