Dubai: Ali Rashid Al Raihe and Doug Watson, two former championship winning handlers in the UAE, matched each other win for win as Meydan Racecourse hosted its first race meeting of the 2015-2016 season on Thursday evening.
Watson, who trains out of the Red Stables near the imposing Metropolitan Hotel development, followed up on his Jebel Ali double last Friday with another smart pair of wins including one in the featured Emirates A380 handicap.
Etijaah was a comfortable distance winner at Meydan in February and the five-year-old Shadwell-bred showed his liking for the track when delivering an effort that pleased his handler.
“Hopefully he is still improving with his racing,” said Watson. “These conditions really suit him and with such a light weight we were hopeful of a big run from him.
“Sam [Hitchcott] deserves a lot of credit because they went very quick up front and he was happy to just take his time.
“We will try and find a similar race for him and hopefully there is more to come.”
Etijaah raced in colours of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister Finance, who was the leading owner in the UAE last season.
Watson wasted no time doubling his tally when saddling Nathr to a 7 1/4 length victory in the Emirates Skywards Handicap.
This time it was Shaikh Hamdan’s retained-rider Dane O’Neill who had the benefit of riding another well-prepared Watson trainee.
The American-bred four-year-old raced in mid-division before taking the lead at the 300 metre marker, from where he pulled clear to leave the rest of the field fighting for the lesser spoils.
“We thought he was capable of something like that,” said Watson. “It was a weak race but he did it very well and we hope he could be a lot better than this.”
Al Raihe won races on both ends of the six-race card with Prepared effortlessly taking the opening Arabian Adventures handicap and Street Act the closing Emirates Airline handicap.
Tadhg O’Shea, who was aboard Prepared said: “He is a nice horse with plenty of ability.
“This was only his seventh career start and he has endured more than his fair share of problems so this will, hopefully, do his confidence a world of good.
“He is not the best at the gates and was a bit slow into stride, but it was only a maiden and we were soon on terms.
“It is obviously the perfect start to my Meydan season.”
Meanwhile, champion trainer Musabah Al Muhairi opened his account for the new campaign when Ajraam posted a reasonably comfortable success in the Emirates Skycargo handicap.
A winner of his first two starts in the UK, Ajraam was recording his first in the UAE, in the capable hands of O’Neill
“I was always happy in the race,” said the jockey. “It always felt as though we had things under control and when I pressed the button he picked up nicely.”
The Satish Seemar-Richard Mullen pairing also put their names on the winner’s board when Cross Grain won the Emirates Holidays Handicap.
Mullen, the reigning UAE Champion Jockey, rode a confident race aboard the Shaikh Juma Bin Dalmook Al Maktoum-owned gelding who came home a three-length winner.
“He is a horse we have always liked,” said Mullen. “He did not really build on his win here last year but only had two more outings and perhaps we backed him up a bit quick.
“The wide draw was not a worry as he travels strongly and has a powerful stride so I would not have wanted to be on the inside anyway.
“We will space his races out this season and hopefully he can improve from this.”
