Dubai: Trainers Musabah Al Muhairi, Doug Watson and Satish Seemar, who have been a formidable force all season, will be hoping to end the year on a positive note when Meydan Racecourse stages the final race meeting of 2014 on Wednesday.
Together, the trio have racked up 56 wins and earned in excess of Dh1 million during a profitable two months of action at the UAE’s five racecourses — Meydan, Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain — this season.
All three handlers look to have strong claims in Wednesday’s six-race card, with the Watson-trained Marching Time preferred to land the feature race of the evening, the Dh140,000 EGA Excellence Trophy over 1,400 metres on dirt.
The eight-year-old son of Saddler’s Well may have had just the one win from 32 career starts in the UAE, but he has been knocking on the door with a sequence of second-placed efforts, including his half-length second to Shaishee over a slightly longer trip at this track.
He is the choice of Dane O’Neill, the retained rider to leading owner Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, who is also represented by stable companion Washaar (Pat Dobbs) and Mundahesh (Ali Rashid Al Raihe/Royston Ffrench) in the race.
“Marching Time has been in great form this season and should run another big race,” said Watson. “The draw could have been kinder, but he is in great form and deserves a bit of luck after three good seconds.
“Washaar has some really good juvenile form but has been off now over a year. Basically, we just need to try him on the dirt so we know how to campaign him looking ahead.
“He is fit and healthy and we are looking forward to running him.”
Wednesday’s meeting will also see South African training great Mike De Kock saddle three runners on the card, including Journeyman in the feature.
“He had three runs here last season,” said De Kock, a leading performer at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, which returns from January 8. “He is ready for a race and we want to try him on the dirt with a Carnival campaign in mind.”
Satish Seemar is represented by Double Dealer, the mount of leading rider Richard Mullen, with apprentice Marc Monaghan on stablemate Signs In The Sand.
Seemar and Mullen also appear to hold serious claims in the EGA Potlines Trophy over 1400-metres on dirt.
Similarly, Watson’s One Man Band looks to be a leading contender for the EGA Casthouse Trophy over a mile on dirt.
