Flying start

Dubai: Former champion trainer Doug Watson credited a change in strategy for the four wins he secured on the opening night of the 2007-08 UAE flat racing season.

Watson, who won the trainer's championship in 2006 but conceded the title last year to Satish Seemar, was the toast of Nad Al Sheba after a clean sweep of the three feature races.

The trainer said: "We've changed our plans a bit for the start of this season, and got them here ready to go, whereas the last couple of seasons, we left them with quite a bit to work on.

"They've actually had a couple of decent pieces of work on the Nad Al Sheba track itself, rather than our training track, and it's really paid off.

"There are some good prizes to be had at the start of the season, so why not get them fitter for the start of the season."

Excited

Watson also singled out Emirates Airlines Stakes winner Jonquil, who was formerly raced in Bahrain before being acquired by owner Fawzi Abdulla Nass, for special praise.

"I'm really pleased for the owner, who has sent a few horses to us, like one of our stars from last season, Boston Lodge," he said. "Jonquil looks like being a really nice horse, and I'm pretty excited about him."

"But, look I've just had four winners, and I'm just as thrilled about every one!"

Watson's sequence of four straight wins began with Daybreak Dancer in the Emirates Skycargo Trophy over 1,200 metres before Dawn Piper won the 1,800 metre Skywards Plate. Jonquil gave him his hat-trick before Ragad won the closing Emirates Holidays Handicap to crown a memorable opening night for the Red Stables handler.

Darragh O'Donohoe partnered the first three winners while Richard was aboard Ragad.

South African apprentice Keagan Latham, making his debut in the UAE, cashed in on a spare ride to win the Arabian Adventures Classic with Knight Of Dance. Latham was deputising for Wayne Smith, who suffered a minor injury in the morning, and said: "It was bad luck on Wayne, but it was a great thrill to win on my very first ride here.

"I came here to ride work and pick up some rides and it's been a dream start."