Meydan

RACING at Meydan returned on November 4th with a seven-race card sponsored by Emirates Airlines. The feature was the Graduate Stakes won by Scots Pine under Richard Mullen.

A new race this season, the seven-furlong conditions race was restricted to horses purchased at the ERA Racing in Dubai Sales staged in September 2020 or 2021, as well as April 2021. The winner cost just AED35,000 (€8,500) in September 2020.

A four-year-old gelding by Shamardal, Scots Pine was losing his maiden tag at the sixth attempt, and on his first appearance for trainer Beverley Deutrom.

The meeting kicked off with a seven-furlong maiden for three-year-olds, and it went to Atlantic Sky, produced to lead close home by Antonio Fresu, sporting the silks of Saeed Sultan Al Rahoomi, for trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri. Previously trained by Doug Watson, his dam, Local Time, won both the UAE 1000 Guineas and Oaks in 2015 for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor.

Fresu and Al Mheiri immediately doubled up in the following 10-furlong maiden, with Just You Wait opening his account at the sixth attempt, pulling well clear in the final 200m to win easily for Nasir Askar. A Dubawi five-year-old, he was never in any danger after grabbing the initiative with less than two furlongs to run.

Shock win

The only handicap on the card, over a mile, also went to Al Mheiri but Fresu had to settle for second this time, denied by Bernardo Pinheiro who created something of a shock on Gentle Bellini. Owned by Fathi Esaed Mohd Egziama, the five-year-old Dubawi entire was a long way back throughout the first half of the race but, once pulled wide in the straight, picked up well to land the spoils and register a second career success. His first was for Aidan O’Brien.

Doug Watson dominated the conditions race over six furlong, saddling the first two home. Sam Hitchcott delivered Uncle Hamed (Tapiture) to deny stable companion Mcmanaman in the dying strides, the victory looking unlikely with two furlongs to run. Owned by Abdulmohsen Al Abdulkareen, the three-year-old was doubling his career tally, on his sixth outing, having shed his maiden tag on his final start of last season.

Denied aboard Mcmanaman, Pat Dobbs tasted victory in the following 10-furlong conditions race with the hard fought success of Watson’s Al Qaqaa (War Front). Owned by Shadwell, the winner was scoring for the first time in the UAE on his fourth local start, having won in Britain for William Haggas.

The concluding mile maiden was won comfortably by Zero To Hundred, a five-year-old Dubawi gelding saddled by Satish Seemar. He was shedding his maiden tag at the eight attempt, all in the UAE in the colours of Avni, Charnes and Nirav Kapoor.

All races at last week’s second meeting of the season at Meydan were named in honour of Covid-19 frontline workers. The thoroughbred highlight, a seven-furlong conditions race for three-year-olds, was dominated by Doug Watson who saddled the 1-2, Sam Hitchcott and the winner Faithful Warrior never having been headed.

Highly regarded

A son of Not This Time, the winner was making it two wins from four starts. Raced by Amanda Butler, he cost $230,000 at Ocala as a juvenile and has always been highly regarded by his trainer.

Watson, completing a double on the evening, said: “We gelded him and he has thrived over the summer so we were hopeful coming here tonight and that was a very pleasing return to action.”

The six-furlong juvenile maiden was contested by seven debutants and went to Arrogate’s son Taking Names. He showed no signs of inexperience, breaking sharply under Pat Dobbs and, when asked for an effort, responded enthusiastically and soon had the race in safekeeping. Purchased for $150,000 at Ocala in June, he was saddled by Watson for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum.

Watson later completed a treble, snaring the 10-furlong handicap with Mulfit, partnered by George Buckell. It was just a second career success for the five-year-old gelded son of Exchange Rate.

Seemar junior

Bhupat Seemar saddled his first winner as master of Zabeel Stables [Satish Seemar’s licence has been temporarily suspended] with Kafoo in the mile maiden for three-year-olds. Under a confident Tadhg O’Shea, the winner went for home at the top of the straight and was never in danger.

A Curlin colt making his debut, he races in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and was purchased as a yearling at Keeneland in September 2019 for $250,000. Seemar said: “He is a lovely horse and one we have always really liked. We thought he would run well and were very hopeful but it is always a relief when they deliver.”

The trainer completed a rapid double with apprentice Sean Kirrane who was never headed aboard dirt debutant Imperial Empire in the following seven-furlong handicap. Owned by Al Rashid Stables, the four-year-old Dubawi gelding has now won three times, once in Britain for Godolphin and also on his local debut on the Meydan turf in January.

The concluding six-furlong handicap was a memorable occasion for Union Racing who own the winner, Vasari (Muhaarar) in partnership with Abdallah Al Mamari, with their colours also carried by the runner-up Wufud who races solely in their name. Antonio Fresu partnered the winner for trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri.

Watson makes incredible start to the new season

Jebel Ali

CHAMPION trainer Doug Watson made an explosive start to the new UAE season on October 29th when Jebel Ali staged the opening meeting. He saddled a four-timer, including the day’s feature, a six-furlong handicap on the dirt, but it was not with the stable’s first choice.

Sam Hitchcott, recording a double, was in the saddle on Ababil (Elusive Quality), and this four-year-old, owned by Al Rashid Stables, was starting the new season where he left off, having recorded his only previous success in March over the same course and distance. That day he won easily, whereas this time he had to fight hard to prevail by a head.

Watson won the opening two races on the card with Mohd Khalifa Al Basti’s Exciting Days (Blame) and the Australian-bred Eshtiraak (Street Cry), and he completed a memorable day with success in the concluding mile maiden with the Canadian-bred three-year-old Al Murqab (Exaggerator).

Ahmad Bin Harmash saddled King Leo, a son of The Last Lion, to win on his UAE debut, the gelding having been placed in March at Wolverhampton for John Gosden. Satish Seemar and Tadhg O’Shea teamed up to win with the Nayef five-year-old Dubai Canal, while the winners’ list was completed by Tolmount, a son of Dubawi, trained by Salem bin Ghadayer.

Canal doubles up

Two weeks later, back at Jebel Ali, and Dubai Canal was again in the winners’ enclosure, this time bringing up a double on the card for Satish Seemar. O’Shea was not in the saddle on this occasion, but earlier he combined with Seemar to win the feature with the Irish-bred Remorse (Dubawi), owned by Al Rashid Stables. The gelding won in France for Godolphin and André Fabre. O’Shea also won the opening race for purebred Arabians.

Final Rock (Rock Of Gibraltar) was on the board for Rashed Bouresly for the first time, having been successful three times for Sir Mark Prescott. The first juvenile contest of the new UAE season, a six-furlong race for fillies, was won in tidy fashion by Little Afrodite (Shackleford), a first UAE winner for young jockey Ray Dawson, riding for Ahmad bin Harmash. The filly was bought in June for $50,000.

A poor start didn’t hinder Law Of Nature (Siyouni) in the three-year-old maiden, winning for Omani jockey Al Moatasem Al Balushi and trainer Helal Alalawi. Royal Appointment (Pivotal) stormed clear to win the five-furlong maiden, ridden by Pat Dobbs for Doug Watson.

Racing briefs from other tracks

Sharjah

WITH just a single race for thoroughbreds on the opening day of Sharjah’s season, 24 hours after Jebel Ali kicked the UAE season off, Doug Watson was again the man of the moment, saddling EERC’s Rougher (Lookin At Lucky) to win for the second time in the region. The six-year-old opened his account at Jebel Ali in November, also on dirt.

Seemar’s licence suspended

Bhupat Seemar has taken over the licence held by his father Satish after one of the latter’s owners was included on the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control list.

Al Ain

ALREADY with three meetings under its belt, Al Ain has been one of the busiest venues. However, only two of its 21 races run to date have featured thoroughbreds. Helal Alalawi was on the mark at the first meeting when his American-bred four-year-old Tepui (Sky Mesa) reached the frame for the first time in seven starts, winning a mile handicap on dirt by a neck.

At the most recent meeting, Ray Dawson and the in-form Ahmed bin Harmash were on the mark in a 10-furlong maiden with Anizzah, a six-year-old son of Oasis Dream. The gelding was second on his belated racecourse debut last November at Al Ain, and occupied the same position at Sharjah recently behind Rougher.

Abu Dhabi

RACING in the capital has been confined to two meetings so far this season, and just two of the 12 races have been for thoroughbreds.

At the first of these Erwan Charpy and Pat Cosgrave easily won the seven-furlong turf handicap with Spirit Of Light, a Godolphin-bred son of Dark Angel. The four-year-old won a maiden over a mile on dirt back in January.

Salen bin Ghadayer was on the mark at the following meeting when his seven-year-old charge Mailshot (Hard Spun) recorded win number eight, half of them in the UAE, over a mile on turf. He was a four-time winner previously for Mark Johnston.