Adrie de Vries and Fawzi Nass celebrate hat-trick at Meydan

Doug Watson consolidates his lead in UAE trainers' championship with double

Adrie de Vries on Shake Hand wins the first of his three prizes at Meydan on Sunday, February 5, 2023. – Adiyat Racing Plus

Adrie de Vries and Bahraini trainer Fawzi Nass combined to take home three of the eight prizes that were up for grabs at Meydan Racecourse on Sunday.

The jockey-trainer partnership reeled off three races in-a-row and then narrowly missed a fourth when second on Kanood in the sixth race.

Shake Hand gave the pair the first win in the second race, a convincing triumph for the American bred Honor Code colt in the four-runner turf maiden over 1,400-metres.

“This looked a good opportunity on paper and the colt took full advantage, doing it well,” De Vries said.

They were back in the winner’s enclosure 35 minutes later with Sharar. The Gun Runner colt has been improving with every run and broke his maiden tag at the fourth attempt, coming home four lengths clear of Francois Herholdt and Capla Crusader.

“That was only his fourth start and just second on turf. He was very professional today and surprised me just how well he won,” De Vries added.

Go Soldier Go did even better. He won by five and-a-half lengths from Antonio Fresu and Oasis Moon. It was also the Tapiture colt’s first success having finished third in his first two starts, and runner-up last time.

Doug Watson and his stable jockey Dobbs completed a double. The pair took the sixth race with Sari Dubai and the concluding handicap with Exciting Days.

The two winners took Watson’s tally to 31 winners to consolidate his lead in the UAE trainers' championship, six ahead of Bhupat Seemar and Ernst Oertel, who is on 22.

Results

2.30pm: Emirates Skywards – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,600m

Winner: Great Deed, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)

3.05pm: Emirates Holidays – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m

Winner: Shake Hand, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass

3.40pm: emirates.com – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,800m

Winner: Sharar, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass

4.15pm: Emirates Airline – Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m

Winner: Go Soldier Go, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass

4.50pm: Arabian Adventures – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,600m

Winner: First Winter, Gabriel Malune, Ahmad bin Harmash

5.25pm: Emirates Airline – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,900m

Winner: Sari Dubai, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

6pm: Emirates Skycargo – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m

Winner: Miqyaas, Oscar Chavez, Rashed Bouresly

6.35pm: Emirates Airline – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (T) 1,800m

Winner: Exciting Days, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson