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Watson hat-trick keeps him at the top of the trainers’ standings

Watson hat-trick keeps him at the top of the trainers’ standings Nov 19, 2022

By Duane Fonseca

 

It may be very early in the season but multiple UAE Champion Trainer Doug Watson took a big leap towards yet another title when signing off Saturday afternoon at Jebel Ali with a treble on the six-race card.

Not even a month into the season and the American is two clear of Ernst Oertel at the top of the charts with 11 wins in the bag. But Watson will be far removed from thoughts of another championship just yet with Zabeel Stables waiting in the wings and ready to pounce.

For now though Watson can revel in the fact that his hat-trick at the ‘hill’ will go a long way to dictating terms moving forward.

And after Emirati handler Ahmed Al Shemaili got proceedings underway winning the Commercial Bank of Dubai sponsored 1400m maiden with the Adrie de Vries ridden Ibra Attack, Watson clinched one of the co-feature events on the programme, a 1400m handicap sponsored by Al Shafar Investment, with Shadwell owned Fanaar, who dug deep under the Dane O’Neill to lead in the final 100m and hold off teammate Al Moreb, trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri and ridden by Antonio Fresu.

Watson was quick to build on that success and was celebrating a little over a half hour later when his 3yo Dubawi colt Silver Jubilee produced good thrust 500m out to kick clear and win the Al Redha Insurance Brokers sponsored 1600m maiden by four lengths from Quality Humor, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash and carrying Ray Dawson.

The other feature event on the card, the Shadwell sponsored 1600m handicap was won by the ‘home team’ featuring Mersaal, who is trained by Michael Costa for Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Ridden by Jean van Overmeire, the 4yo Ghostzapper gelding made it two in two career starts for Costa when taking over from 2020 Group 3 UAE Oaks heroine Down On Da Bayou a little under 200m out. Mersaal was simply too good and the momentum saw him coast to a three fourths length success.

Watson completed his scoring in the Dubai Real Estate Centre sponsored 1600m handicap with Mayaadeen, who brought Shadwell a second success in the process, after winning by a length and a half under O’Neill.
Salem bin Ghadayer and Royston Ffrench were denied with Down On Da Bayou, but the pair were on target in the final race, which was the 1950m handicap sponsored by JARC, where First Of November showed who’s the boss as he went gate to post to win by six and half lengths from Watson’s Dubawi Sands, the ride of Dobbs.

 

 


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