By Leslie Wilson Jr

Pollard and Rudkin

Dubai - Paddy Rudkin and Neil Pollard are fast becoming a force to be reckoned with this season after barely missing out on a hat-trick at the fast paced Nad Al Sheba racecourse here yesterday.

 But Rudkin and Pollard weren't the only ones vying for attention under the brilliant floodlights and a perfect night sky. Lady trainer Jaqi Wickham further underlined her potential as a would-be champion Purebred Arabian trainer, when she scooped a double to raise her tally to four wins.

 Jockey Ted Durcan also elbowed his way into the spotlight when he rode his sixth winner of the season, astride one of Wickham's two winners, I Feel Good, to lead the jockey's championship.

 All this and more made for a compelling night's racing on a racing surface that fluctuated between fast and good, and resulted in two thrilling photo-finishes and some very impressive times.

 To little surprise Rudkin and Pollard nailed wins with fancied runners Vitellozzi and Mile High, but were deprived a third when Eddie Ahern rode his heart out astride the Kiaran Mclaughlin-trained Mukaddar to edge out Royal Shock on the wire.

 Richard Hills too went for broke astride Rudkin's Royal Shock, a three-race winner last season, in the mile and a quarter handicap for horses rated 0-59, but in the end, the two kilos he was giving away to Ahern and Mukaddar might just have made all the difference.

 Pollard had a similar call in a mile for horses rated 0-60, but this time was on the winning end. Vitellozzi, a winner at this course two weeks ago, reproduced that effort to just see off the challenge thrown down by seasoned UAE rider Peter Brette and Fly By Night. It took a photo to separate the two, although Vitellozzi, a seven-year-old bay by top sire Machiavellian, looked to be travelling better at the wire.

 Pollard, who only earlier this week was confirmed as the number one rider for Rudkin's competitive Blue Stables, left nothing to chance when partnering last outing winner Mile High in a 1,100 furlong sprint for horses rated 0-85.

 He settled the five-year-old gelding nicely in the five runner field and stretched out as they straightened for home to pull away and win by a widening five lengths. Wickham's wins came with the newcomers Streak Tease, a four-year-old American bred filly, and another American bred colt I Feel Good. Both Arabians appeared well suited to the conditions and won readily.

 John Carroll made it two out of two for Wickham when he rode a well-judged race astride Streak Tease to just deprive Ted Durcan on Sheikh To Sheikh in a two horse photo finish. Durcan, however, was vindicated when he teamed up with Wickham's I Feel Good in a mile and a quarter handicap for horses rated 0-55, to record a comfortable 3.5 length victory over French rider Steve Hemel on the Charles Rached trained Al Nemr.

 Top trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam, who notched a record-high 67 wins last season when finishing second to champion trainer Saeed bin Suroor, scored his third win of the season when he sent out Almandab to win a 7.5 furlong handicap for horse rated 0-102 from fancied Jila, the mount of Richard Hills.

 This was also only the third win of the season for twice champion jockey Willie Supple, who like his trainer Selvaratnam, scored a record-breaking 75 wins during the 1998-99 season.