The Listed Dubai Creek Mile on Thursday was an absolute cracker: the best [Thoroughbred] race so far this season and a ‘mini Godolphin Mile’. That bunch, plus Secret Ambition, a couple of Americans and a plucky Euro trying the dirt, will make for a perfectly respectable Group Two come March.
Anyway, Prince Eiji’s win made me think about the training talents of Doug Watson. The seven time UAE Champion has devoted his career to Dubai [we all know the ‘driving the ambulance at the first Dubai World Cup story’ by now] and few people know racing here better. Prince Eiji is a good example of the patience of Doug and team.
The then yearling cost an eye-watering 2.6million guineas in 2017 and I don’t think it’s unfair to say that his career didn’t exactly take off for Roger Varian in the UK, where he managed a single win [at Ascot, on debut, in 2018] in 18 starts. It must be a bit of a poisoned chalice when an owner sends you a horse who cost a fortune, because even those who have been in the sport as long as HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Obaid Al Maktoum may expect some sort of return.
Anyway, Doug was profound in his admiration for ‘Eiji’ when he arrived at Red Stables and helpfully told plenty of people he expected a big run when the now gelding lined up in a 7f contest at Meydan December 2021; his first run on dirt. It was a super run, Eiji battling with the race fit Kafoo before going down by a short-head.
Given 50 days break after that, Eiji was disappointing when only fourth in the Firebreak Stakes in March, before reverting to turf for another lacklustre display in the new Ras Al Khar Stakes on Super Saturday. Now, this is the crucial part, and in many ways the key to training racehorses: Doug and team stopped there; resisting the temptation to run in a lesser race at Jebel Ali, say, and gave the gelding a long summer off.
Plenty of other trainers would have wheeled back in another race after a week or so, to try and find out what was going on. This ruins horses; it’s about patience, patience and more patience. Now, they’ve been rewarded with a serious player for all of the carnival’s big mile races.
On pedigree, Prince Eiji will get 2000m too, just a thought. Aside from the Creek Mile, the week’s big race was the Group 1 Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi, always a huge meeting with a real buzz about it, thanks to the plethora of guests invited by Lara Sawaya. The money on offer will pretty much always ensure a good field, so kudos to the First Classs team for beating the best Arabian in the business, the redoubtable Lady Princess, whose little legs just couldn’t quite get to him inside that final furlong.
I always think that winning Group Ones on dirt and turf make you a real star of the game, so First Classs is just that. Hopefully we’ll see him back here for a defence of the Kahayla Classic in March.
LAURA KING
