IT was a night to remember for trainer Doug Watson on Thursday at Meydan when he won four of the five thoroughbred races on the card. The winning streak started in the Longines Conquest Classic Ladies, a six-furlong maiden for horses of all ages, and it was won in stunning fashion by the debutante Polar River.

A $25,000 Keeneland yearling purchase as a yearling, the two-year-old daughter of Congrats came agonisingly close to breaking the course record set at the Dubai World Cup meeting by Secret Circle in the Golden Shaheen. She scorched home by 13 and a half lengths and is a filly of some promise.

Winning rider Sam Hitchcott said afterwards: “Hopefully she is a filly with a big future.”

Watson and Hitchcott doubled up in one of the feature races when the Irish-bred One Man Band, a four-year-old son of Pivotal, easily took the mile handicap by seven lengths. The disappointment was stable companion Faulkner, unbeaten going into the race, but he was found to be lame afterwards.

Dane O’Neill partnered Watson’s third winner when he stayed loyal to Sheikh Hamdan’s Jeeraan, by Distorted Humor, in the 10-furlong handicap and then it was the turn of Pat Dobbs to enjoy victory on Watson’s fourth with the Irish-bred Alhaarth gelding Famous Warrior in a seven-furlong handicap.

A five-timer was in touching distance but Watson’s Padlock had to settle for second best in the concluding six-furlong handicap behind Can You Conga. The winner was the first of the season and the first ever at Meydan for trainer Mohd Ramadan and the son of Piccolo was partnered by David Probert.

Jebel Ali

Course specialist Jutland returned to action last Friday at Jebel Ali in the feature Shadwell Farm conditions race over nine furlongs but he was a disappointing fifth behind Farrier who was landing the race for the second time, having won it two years ago. Last year Farrier chased Jutland home in this race.

The Satish Seemar trained Farrier, a son of Tapit, was the choice of Richard Mullen and he held his stable-companion Mawhub and Hector Crouch to land the spoils by a neck.

The six-race card on the dirt opened with a maiden over seven furlongs and Doug Watson’s two runners were separated by just half a length in a stirring finish. The former David Marnane-trained Just A Penny was ridden by Sam Hitchcott but had to give best to Pat Dobbs on the Elusive Quality three-year-old Tadarrok, formerly trained by Mark Johnston.

Watson and Dobbs doubled up in the next, a 10-furlong handicap, with the former Mark Johnston winner Busatto to win, leaving his recent form in Abu Dhabi well behind.

Dane O’Neill was also in double form and he won the last two races on the card. Muarrab won for the eighth time at Jebel Ali to take the four-runner six-furlong conditions race by eight lengths for trainer Musabah Al Muhairi before landing the concluding five-furlong handicap by more than two lengths for Ali Rashid Al Raihe on the Irish-bred Shamardal gelding Mushaakis.

Fernando Jara initiated trainer Musabah Al Muhairi’s double when the Sherbourne Lodge-bred Art Wave, a son of Art Connoisseur, captured the seven-year-old handicap.