MUSCAT, FEB 16
The Annual Al Bashayer Camel Racing Festival’s second day featured 13 rounds, each with big fields of three-year-old camels during the morning and afternoon rounds.
There was drama early in the fourth round when the camels from the inside and outside crowded in shortly after the start and one runner fell, bringing down another only metres from the starting gates, then only 50 metres later two camels came together and appeared to crash heavily to the track. Fortunately, all four camels appeared unhurt and were passed fit to race later in the day.
Popular trainer
Popular Al Mudhaibi camel trainer Mahmood bin Ali al Jabri produced his modestly bred Al Afia, later in the morning to head off a large field of more highly favoured runners to score a convincing win in Round 7.
By Ibn Sarab, out of the locally bred Khawr, Al Afia built significantly on a recent winning run in the UAE to win with something in hand. The trainer, who has a promising stable of camels in his charge at present and has an excellent training record with “too many winners to count,” has been around camels since he was five years old, but is confident he has the bloodstock now to be competitive and earn good prizes in the trophy rounds of major camel racing events.
The standout time however, was returned by Jabarah, for Hamed bin Mattar al Shamsi in the opening event, of 7:42sec. Jabarah was always prominent, and at the top of the home straight soon loped up outside the leader easily. Given some encouragement with 800 metres to run, he stretched out stylishly for a hollow victory in a time that indicated his favouritism for the later rounds, and his prospects later on in the circuit.
double win
The afternoon round saw Hamed al Jidaily strike twice, with Saayb, for the Royal Camel Corps in Round 1, and his own camel Wahaga in Round 4, while in between Bahraini trainer Baraq al Mahalhal won Round 3 with Ma Yhab for prominent Bahrain identity Al Taylat Camels, and Mohammed bin Salman al Khalifa. The emergence of these high-profile owners is a stark indication of the international prestige, and profile of the event.
The festival continues on Wednesday, with the Four-Year-Old rounds in the morning and afternoon.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
