Doug Watson Tops Trainers' Championship After Winning Meydan Treble

4 December 2014, Dubai ~ Trainer Doug Watson has returned to his natural habitat in the new dirt track at Meydan Racecourse and never was this more apparent than when he saddled three workmanlike winners at the track on Thursday evening 4 December.

The Taj, Henry Clay and One Man Band achieved promising victories, with Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s The Taj and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum’s Henry Clay seemingly destined for bigger things at the Dubai World Cup Carnival come the New Year.

The only Purebred Arabian contest, the 1600m Mazrat Al Ruwayah Prep, the Longines Conquest Classic, opened the card and Bigg N Rich (FALINA DES FABRIES (FR) x Viraac (US) by Virgule Al Maury) repeated his victory of 12 months ago, albeit on a different surface.

Wayne Smith was in the saddle and the pair tracked Shateh and Silvestre De Sousa who came under pressure early in the straight with Smith still sat motionless.

He asked his mount to challenge soon after with the pair hitting the front with 300m to run. De Sousa’s mount fought back but to no avail.

“I thought I would win on him at Al Ain two weeks ago,” said Smith. “However, he just seemed to tire in the closing stages. I was always going well and it was a decent effort.”

The meeting concluded with a 1600m TB handicap for which a full field of 16 went to post. Champion Jockey, Tadhg O’Shea landed the spoils for trainer Satish Seemar aboard Filfil.

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