Dubai: Doug Watson strengthened his grip on the UAE trainer’s championship when he sent out a quintet of winners at Thursday’s penultimate fixture of the 2017-2018 Meydan Racecourse season.
The meeting was highlighted by the 1,600m Azizi Victoria handicap who was won in imperious fashion by Watson’s Nathr, ridden by Jim Crowley.
The jockey said: “He has faced plenty of tough tasks this season, but was back to a handicap mark from which we knew he could be competitive. He is the kind of horse who, when things fall right for him, is very capable of a performance like that. This is the first time this season things have really gone right for him but we just have to hope the handicapper does not overreact to the winning distance. He likes a bit of space in his races and we enjoyed that this evening. The yard has been in good form all season and it is nice to ride the feature winner for the team and, of course, Shaikh Hamdan.”
The well-reguarded Almanaara who like Nathr is owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, won the 1,200m Azizi Riviera handicap by seven-and-a-quarter lengths in a near-track record time of 1:10.36.
“The team have always loved the horse, but after his very impressive win back at the first Meydan meeting in November, he has just had a few little niggles and things did not go quite right,” Crowley added. “He was nice and fresh this evening after eight weeks off and we were hopeful because he had been working well. With luck, he is a carnival horse for next year.”
Salem Bin Ghadayer’s Gundogdu had to work hard under Xavier Ziani to land the Azizi Samia handicap and the jockey said: “Ever since he joined the stable he has shown us plenty of a quality, but also a fair bit of temperament.
“He ran well a couple of times in January and again a fortnight ago on the turf over 1,800m. He still does know he is a racehorse and is only going to improve with time and experience. Next season, with a summer on his back, I think he will be a nice horse.”
Ziani completed a double, sending Tailor’s Row, despite being drawn widest of all in 15, straight to the lead in the Azizi Farhad, a 2200m handicap in which they were never headed. Having just his second start locally and for Omar Daraj, they were only just caught close home two weeks ago over 2,000m and there was a lot of confidence behind the horse coming into the race.
“I was very confident before the race because of the way he ran last time,” Ziani said.
“It was a very good performance as we knew he would need that run. Basically, I knew I was on the best horse in this contest so was not worried by the wide draw and just rode the horse confidently as I knew he would be hard to beat. He broke well and then responded when I asked him to get to the front after which I was never worried at any stage. This is my first double here at Meydan, so I am absolutely delighted and thank all the connections of both horses.”
Virtually last throughout the first half of the Azizi Mina, a 1,400m handicap, Pilgrim’s Treasure snatched what appeared a most unlikely victory when flashing home under Adrie de Vries to deny Say No More in the dying strides. Trained by Satish Seemar, it was a second career win for the horse whose previous success was over 1,800m in England for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby.
“It is the first time I have ridden him, but he is a lovely little horse who could not keep up early on, but at halfway has come back on the bridle and throughout most of the straight I was actually confident we would get there,” De Vries said. “The yard told me he had ability and he clearly has, but, running through the kickback he is tough as well so full credit to the horse.”
Race for the 2017-2018 UAE
Trainer’s Championship
Trainer Wins Prize Money
Doug Watson 45 8,866.91
Eric Lemartinel 36 4,509.390
Satish Seemar 33 6,471.660
Ernst Oertel 33 2,496.560
Helel Al Alawi 29 2,343.350
