Doug Watson and Pat Dobbs land impressive treble at Meydan

The UAE champion trainer consolidated his lead by taking his tally to 26 winners

Pat Dobbs and Al Nayyir, left, win from Adrie de Vries and Withering at Meydan on Sunday, January 15, 2023. – Adiyat Racing Plus

Doug Watson consolidated his lead in the UAE trainer’s championship with a splendid treble at Meydan on Sunday.

The seven-time champion combined with stable jockey Pat Dobbs to land the second race with Sari Dubai, the fourth with Al Nayyir, and the penultimate prize with Qareeb in the seven-race card.

Al Nayyir was winning his third race in four starts for the season. Dobbs had him well settled behind the leaders before overcoming Adrie de Vries and Withering in a dual to the finish line.

Dobbs rode a similar race on board Qareeb. He settled his mount behind Bernardo Pinheiro and Grand Dubai and the two battled it out to the end on the home stretch for the Red Stables to complete the treble.

The three winners took Watson’s tally to 26, five more than his nearest challenger Ernst Oertel.

“It was a good night’s meeting for us,” Watson said. “Qareeb had a nice race there, just off the pace. He’s a big strong horse and was coming off three weeks from his last race. He’s been pretty active and won very well.

“Al Nayyir stepped down in distance but he came on well at the end,” Watson added of the five-year-old Dubawi gelding’s victory by a length-and-a-quarter in the 2,000-metre turf handicap.

“We didn’t have an option and when I saw the pace out there I thought he wouldn’t make it. He did his job well tonight.”

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor and Daniel Tudhope seem to have struck a fantastic partnership.

They combined to land the second of the two featured turf handicaps with Open Mind, the royal blues' only entry of the meeting.

Open Mind, making his first appearance in the Emirates, tracked the early leaders before Tudhope pressed the button to motor to the front and win from Tadhg O’Shea and Western Symphony by half-a-length.

Connor Planas, 19, finally celebrated his first win in the UAE by taking the opening race and solitary prize for the Purebred Arabians on board Helal Al Alawi’s RB Seqondtonone.

The Zabeel Stables-based apprentice was runner up three times and third five times in 41 rides in his first season in the Emirates.

Results

6pm: DVCC Metaverse – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

Winner: RB Seqondtonone, Connor Planas (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

6.35pm: DVCC Racing – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m

Winner: Sari Dubai, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

7.10pm: DVCC Adventure – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Magic Petition, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash

7.45pm: DVCC Voyage – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 2,000m

Winner: Al Nayyir, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

8.20pm: DVCC Expedition – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner: Open Mind, Daniel Tudhope, Saeed bin Suroor

8.55pm: DVCC Elegant Lifestyle – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m

Winner: Qareeb, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

9.30pm: DVCC.COM – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,000m

Winner: Leading Spirit, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar