Doug Watson off the mark with fours winners at Meydan Racecourse

UAE champion trainer saddles Syncopation, Big Brown Bear, Stunned and Pillar Of Society at first meet at Dubai track this season

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 1, 2018. 

Jockey George Buckell on Syncopation (IRE), wins the Emirates Skywards Handicap 1600M dirt race at Meydan Racecourse for the First Race Meeting.

(Photo by Reem Mohammed/The National)

Reporter:
Section:  SP
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Results:

6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).

7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.

7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
Winner: New Trails, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.

9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
Winner: Pillar Of Society, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

The UAE champion trainer Doug Watson got the racing season off in style, saddling four winners at Meydan Racecourse’s opening meeting on Thursday.

The Red Stables trainer saddled winners for three different owners under two different jockeys to move up the trainer’s leaderboard after drawing a blank at Jebel Ali Racecourse last week.

George Buckell made all he running to steer Syncopation to a two-length victory over Ticket Holder in the second race in the silks of Mohammed Khalifa Al Basti.

Pat Dobbs, the stable jockey, rode Big Brown Bear to a convincing five-length win for the Kildare Stud and completed the double 35 minutes later atop Stunned for Al Basti’s second winner on the night.

Big Brown Bear was particularly impressive. Dobbs made smooth progress to lead 300 metres from home and held on to win from the Helal Al Alawi-trained Solar Shower.

Dobbs replicated his success in the previous race to steer Stunned to win by four and-a-half lengths from Speedy Move and then completed the treble, leading from start to finish on Pillar Of Society for the EERC Syndicate in the second last race.

Ahmad bin Harmash and his stable jockey Connor Beasley registered two victories at the Dubai track.

The trainer-jockey partnership took the opening race with Walking Thunder and the fifth race, the most valuable handicap of the seven-race card, with New Trails, both horses making their local debuts.

“Walking Thunder was making his racecourse debut and I thought he was very impressive,” said the Emirati trainer.

“New Trails is a Godolphin horse and has one from three starts in France before arriving in our stables. We quietly fancied his chances and he won very well in a strong field.

“We haven’t decided where they go next but we’ll see how they have both come out of their races and decide.”

Beasley settled New Trail behind the top-weight Montsarrat, ridden by Royston Ffrench, for most of the 2,000m trip before stepping on the gas down the home stretch to win by two lengths from Watson’s pair Street Of Dreams and Dehbashi.

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Read more:

Monsarrat and Galles lead Sandeep Jadhav's bid for Meydan success

UAE racing: Doug Watson begins bid for seventh UAE trainers title at Jebel Ali

Longchamp: Royal Marine and Wild Illusion deliver double for Godolphin

Godolphin: Dubai-based stables saddle 5,000th winner in France

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Results:

6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).

7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.

7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
Winner: New Trails, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.

9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
Winner: Pillar Of Society, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.