Trainer's triple treat

Local trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam was celebrating a treble after the first meeting of the season at the Jebel Ali course on which he trains.

Horses head down the track during the third race on the opening day at the Jebel Ali Race Course.
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DUBAI // Local trainer Dhruba Selvaratnam was celebrating a treble after the first meeting of the season at the Jebel Ali course on which he trains. Mannjal and Dahteer both won seven-furlong handicaps for his main patron Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, with Chun Tosaigh winning a six-furlong maiden to set the ball rolling.

Chun Tosaigh and Mannjal were both partnered by William Buick, with Daragh O'Donohoe scoring on Dahteer. Buick said: "It is nice to get a double on my debut at our 'home' track and the horses are in good form." On a good afternoon for the Selvaratnam's, Dhruba's brother Adi saddled Mash'Hoor to win the six-furlong handicap, while Champion Trainer Doug Watson was not to be denied - Fernando Jara steering his Tri Another Cat to win the opening mile handicap.

The feature race, a five-furlong dash, was won impressively by Star Crowned who was chased home by stable companion League Champion. Both are trained by Kuwaiti Rashed Bouresly. Tadhg O'Shea was in the saddle and explained: "He has done well because he was certainly tiring inside the final furlong. He is a nice horse with a lot of pace." The previous evening at Nad Al Sheba, Ali Rashid Al Raihe and Royston Ffrench had combined to win the last two races with Crooner and Rochdale.

The trainer had also scored earlier courtesy of the Paul Devlin-partnered Amoking in the sole Purebred Arabian race - when chased home by Ffrench on stablemate Firstwan. Adi Selvaratnam's first runner of the season was a winner - Save The Secret obliging under Fernando Jara in the maiden, while Doug Watson's Lucky Ray and Daragh O'Donohoe combined for their second win of the season in the 10-furlong handicap.

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