MEYDAN

ALL eyes were on Meydan on Thursday when the racecourse unveiled its new dirt track, replacing the Tapeta surface that had been in use for a number of years. The 2015 Dubai World Cup will be run on the new surface and it is hoped to attract both Bayern and Toast Of New York.

The first race on the new Meydan dirt, a seven-furlong maiden, was won in fine style by the Satish Seemar-trained debutant Cross Grain (by Cape Cross) with stable jockey Richard Mullen in the saddle. Mullen’s mount was in midfield until asked to chase the leaders three furlongs out. Cross Grain hit the front inside the final furlong and won going away by three lengths. The winner is a half-brother to Harbour Watch and the Group 1 winner Europa Point.

The trainer and jockey later doubled up with another Irish-bred Genius Step (by Dubawi) scoring in a six-furlong handicap. This was the horse’s third win in the UAE. Mullen said: “We have always hoped he might be a Dubai World Cup Carnival horse and it is nice to know he goes on this new surface. Both Seemar’s winners are owned by Sheikh Juma Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum.

The most impressive winner of the night was Storm Belt (by More Than Ready), ridden by Pat Dobbs and trained by Doug Watson. They won the feature, a handicap over nine and a half furlongs by nearly five lengths. The winner was posting his fourth UAE victory, all on dirt. His other wins were at Sharjah and Jebel Ali.

The Ali Rashid Al Raihe-trained Street Act (by Street Cry) landed one of the seven-furlong handicaps, leading close home under Royston Ffrench to win by half a length. Street Act had finished second in Jebel Ali last Friday.

Silvestre De Sousa was back at the scene of his Dubai World Cup victory and he wasted little time visiting the winner’s enclosure, taking the mile handicap on Muhtaram (by Shamardal) for Musabah Al Muhairi. The winner was losing his maiden tag on his ninth career start.

The trainer and jockey completed a double with Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Shaishee (by Indian Charlie) who trounced his nine rivals by five and a half lengths in the concluding seven-furlong handicap.

JEBEL ALI

The feature at Jebel Ali’s opening meeting of the UAE season last Friday afternoon turned into something of a procession by Fityaan (by Haafhd), owned by the sponsor, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Twice runner-up in the Listed Jebel Ali Sprint over the course and distance, the Musabah Al Muhairi-trained and Dane O’Neill-partnered sprinter recorded an easy victory in this five-furlong handicap, his second in the UAE after a Meydan turf win in the 2013 Dubai World Cup Carnival. The rider went on to complete a double on the same owner’s Kahruman (by Mr Greely), trained by Erwan Charpy, in the seven-furlong handicap.

Champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea made the perfect start to the season when making all the running in the opening 12-furlong handicap on the Doug Watson-trained Mizbah (by Dubai Destination).

Ali Rashid Al Raihe and Royston Ffrench won the opening race last year and wasted little time this year when they combined to land the mile handicap with Need To Know (by Western Winter). Having his first start since finishing runner-up in China in April, Ffrench’s mount won comfortably.

Trainer Mohammed Ramadan made a great start to his season with Carlos Sanchez steering Marhi (by Rahy) to victory in the five-furlong maiden. Glenleven (by Forest Wildcat) was an impressive winner of the six-furlong handicap with Richard Mullen in the saddle for trainer Satish Seemar.

SHARJAH

There was only one thoroughbred contest as racing returned to Sharjah on Saturday, with Pat Dobbs driving Diwaan (by Echo Of Light) to victory. The winner was also losing his maiden tag at the ninth time of asking and needed every yard of the 10-furlong trip to get his head in front, much to the delight of his trainer Doug Watson.

AL AIN

Yesterday saw Al Ain become the second UAE racecourse in two days to inaugurate a new dirt track as the venue opened i’s 2014-2015 season. The only thoroughbred race on the card, a nine-furlong maiden, started proceedings, with Ismail Mohammed-trained Respect Me (by Street Cry) running out an easy winner under Wayne Smith.