Sharjah: Saturday afternoon’s Sharjah meeting was highlighted by a 1700m handicap, the finale on the card, with The Secret, trained by Doug Watson, recording a third consecutive course victory.

A maiden after his first seven starts, Watson’s charge finally put his head in front, by the narrowest of margins, in a 2000m handicap on his seasonal return last month.

He followed that up with a far more convincing success, also over 2000m, two weeks ago and coped admirably with the shorter trip in Sharjah.

As he did a fortnight ago, he made virtually all the running under Dane O’Neill, riding for his main employer Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.

“He has thrived this season,” said Watson. “As I have said many times, he has always worked like a decent horse in the mornings but was not producing what we were seeing on the track.

“The first win was a big confidence boost for him and has been the catalyst for his improved form.”

For Watson, who celebrated four winners at Meydan on Thursday, his great start to the season was continuing after the earlier smooth success of Kokomo, given a very positive ride by Pat Dobbs, in a 2000m conditions race.

Not the fastest away, Kokomo was roused in the early stages to get to the front, then was never headed. Winner of her final start of four last season, in a 1700m course maiden, she was denied on the line first time out this season by The Secret, in a 2000m handicap.

She failed to land a blow on her one subsequent start, again behind The Secret, but bounced back in style on this occasion.

“She was in season it transpired the last day,” said Justin Byrne, representing winning owners EERC (Emirates Entertainment Racing Club.) “We knew she was better than that and the idea was to try and get to the front today.

“Pat has given her a great ride and she has kept on strongly. She seems to go particularly well here at Sharjah and, hopefully, has more improvement in her as this was only her seventh start.”

Tadhg O’Shea rarely leaves Sharjah empty handed and wasted no time getting on the scoresheet, driving AF Ashras to a relatively comfortable victory in the opening 1200m maiden.

Trained by Ernst Oertel the four-year-old was having his fifth career start and third already this season. Conditions really appeared to suit and he was never far off the pace before pulling clear about 400m from home.

The race was never in doubt afterwards.

“This is probably his kind of trip,” said O’Shea. “He ran over 1700m here at Sharjah last time and probably found it too far.

“Ernst had him very fit for today and he won nicely.

“It is a good start to the afternoon and Sharjah has been a lucky track for me in recent years.”

There was a distinct sense of deja vu just 30 minutes later with O’Shea making virtually all the running on AF Thobor in a second 1200m maiden.

It was another winner for Oertel, as well as Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda, owner and breeder of both horses who also share the same sire, being sons of AF Al Buraq.

Losing his maiden tag at the third attempt, AF Thobor could be called the winner at the halfway point when he skipped clear under O’Shea who could afford a look behind to see where the opposition was.

The answer was well in arrears and struggling.

“He did that very well,” said O’Shea. “It has been a good season so far and there are plenty of good jockeys in that weighing room, so it is always nice to ride winners.

“Again, credit to Ernst and his team for having the horse fit and ready.”

Oertel added: “Obviously it is great to get a double and both are nice young horses who should improve.

“A lot of my string are this type of baby and we are hoping to unearth a few good ones. We are looking forward to the rest of the season.

“Tadhg has ridden plenty of winners for me in the past and gets on well with these Purebred Arabians.”

O’Shea then appeared to have stolen the only Thoroughbred race on the card, a 2000m handicap, on the Ali Rashid Al Raihe-trained Alraased.

Clear with 500m to run and those in the chasing pack all hard at work, the race looked safe, only for O’Shea’s mount to run out of petrol in the final 200m.

It was left to the Erwan Charpy-trained Tadmir, ridden by Gerald Avranche for his French compatriot to pick up the pieces, snatching the spoils and registering what had appeared an unlikely victory.

“They went quick,” said Avranche. “Tadmir picked up and finished strongly in the straight when I really asked him.

Those in front were tiring but he had plenty left to finish off the race well.”

Tadmir was chased home by stable companion El Muqbil, another finishing fast, with Alraased tiring to fourth.

The 1700m maiden provided the ideal opportunity for the Jaci Wickham-trained Inayat W’Rsan to open his account at only the second time of asking and on his dirt debut.

For jockey David Probert, it was a second UAE winner, after the victory of Can You Conga at Meydan on Thursday and his first locally on a Purebred Arabian.