At The Races

In Profile: Ahmed Ajtebi
04 Mar 2009

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Former camel rider Ahmed Ajtebi may not have had the most conventional start to his career but with four winners at this year’s Dubai International Racing Carnival, the promising, young UAE jockey is certainly proving he can cut it at the top.

Born and bred in Dubai, 28-year-old Ajtebi has ridden close to a century of winners in ten countries including that memorable victory aboard Regal Parade at Royal Ascot in June 2008.
Ajtebi was riding for David Nicholls, a regular at the Dubai International Racing Carnival, and recalls: “It was my first ride at Ascot - I only came for one and it couldn't have gone any better.
“Any winner in England is different as you are riding against some great jockeys, but a winner at Royal Ascot is something else. It was my first winner at Ascot, but let’s hope it’s not the last.”

In hitting the headlines in the UK, Ajtebi joined the ever increasing list of UAE ambassadors for the sport alongside fellow compatriot, Saeed bin Suroor, thanks in no small part to his Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.  The ruler of Dubai has been instrumental in Ajtebi’s rise to fame ever since spotting the teenager on the camel racing circuit where he rode in around 3000 races partnering more than 200 winners.   Ajtebi recalls how Sheikh Mohammed encouraged him to gain the necessary experience to make the switch. “He pushed me,” Ajtebi said.  “He said that the UAE had horses in training everywhere in the world, but Dubai had no jockey. I told him that I had never ridden a horse in my life, but I would try.”

Aged 15, Ajtebi sat on a horse for the first time in his life and following the advice of his mentor headed to the Irish Apprentice School in Kildare before continuing his formation at the Australian equivalent in Melbourne.  After partnering his first winner at Geelong in Australia in 2004, the UAE National spent two summers in South Africa with Mike de Kock where, from 85 rides, he rode 19 winners, also furthering his international campaign by gaining two winners in Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Returning to complete stints in Dubai each winter, Ajtebi then went to ride in the UK in the summer of 2007, where from his base at Clive Brittain’s Newmarket yard he got off to a good start with six winners from just 28 mounts.  He bettered that in 2008 with 10 winners - six of which came for Brittain - but he also caught the eye of 11 other trainers who called on his services during his short stay in the UK.

On Boxing Day 2008, Ajtebi became the first Arab jockey in the world to gain professional status when guiding Plavius to victory at Nad Al Sheba.

Since then he has gone on to score four times at the 2009 International Racing Carnival getting the better of some of the best British and Irish jockeys around, who migrate to the sunnier climes of Dubai each winter.

“It is a great experience to be able to ride with Ted Durcan and Frankie Dettori in Dubai,” Ajtebi said. 

 “When I first started out I wanted to win a maiden, now I am dreaming of the Dubai World Cup — for me coming from the UAE, to have a ride on the day would be something else.  But more than anything I want to show the world that the UAE can produce good jockeys. My goal is to support my country and raise the UAE flag at every opportunity I get. My biggest dream is to make my country proud of what I can achieve.” 

“I’m very happy with my progress. God willing, I am looking at a bright career ahead,” added Ajtebi, who is the first jockey for the new trainer Mubarak Khalifa bin Shafya.

Shafya was the endurance race horse trainer for Sheikh Mohammed, and was a member of the gold medal winning team in the world championship in Malaysia. Switching to thoroughbreds, Shafya has shown the same aptitude for change as his stable jockey notching up a total of nine winners at the International Carnival this season.

Ajtebi has six rides for his retainer at this Thursday’s Carnival meeting including a ride aboard the rapidly improving Happy Boy in the feature race, the Maktoum Challenge (R3).  The former Godolphin inmate seemed to regain some of the sparkle he showed when making a breathtaking UAE debut last year in Round 1 of the Maktoum Challenge when going down by less than a length to his former stable mate My Indy last month.  Ajtebi said with a touch of humour: “Happy Boy is very happy right now and I will be too if he wins!”

“He improved by about 24 lengths on his past form against My Indy.  He will stay well and although there are a few tough horses in the race, he is in good form and is my best shot of the night” he added.

He also has high hopes for Third Set in the last race on the card, the Group 2 Jebel Hatta although recognizes it will be a much tougher race than the one he won on him at the Carnival earlier in the season saying: “Third Set is a class horse but it will be tough.  The Japanese filly (Vodka) is very good and he also will have to struggle with a low draw.  He is quite a difficult horse to ride in the straight as he likes to come from behind on the outside.  It will be difficult to get this position form stall two.”

In the Group 2 Dubai City of Gold, Ajtebi partners the former Clive Brittain trained Hattan who opened his Carnival account with a good second to Godolphin’s Kirklees over ten furlongs.  Ajtebi said: “He’s not a bad horse and for me he should be up there.  He will have needed the run first time out.  The trip will suit him too as he has won a Group 3 over this distance in the UK.”

Elsewhere on the card he rides a couple of three-year-olds for Bin Shafya including Paso De Gloria in the first thoroughbred race of the night and Galactos in the 1500m turf race. The local jockey said: “The pair are making their first starts in Dubai so I can not tell you too much about them. If Paso de Gloria handles the surface he could be a nice UAE Derby contender and riding on World Cup night would be a dream come true for me.”