Storm Belt cleans up on the dirt of Meydan Racecourse

Meydan Racecourse opened its season, the race track's first on dirt, on Thursday night in Dubai. Satish Kumar / The National

DUBAI // The featured 1,900-metre handicap at Meydan's first dirt meeting was turned into a procession by the Doug Watson-trained Storm Belt, who could not have been more impressive under Pat Dobbs as he was always going particularly well.

Turning into the straight Dobbs eased his mount into contention before swooping past stable companion Henry Clay and storming clear.

“This horse just loves the dirt – he works well on it at home and has won twice at Sharjah, once at Jebel Ali and now here,” Dobbs said.

“We hope he is a carnival horse and very much one for the future.”

Debutant Cross Grain was the first winner on the new Meydan dirt, landing the opening 1400m maiden under Richard Mullen, riding for his main employer, Satish Seemar who also had the second finisher, Year Of Glory, under Marc Monaghan.

“What a great start to our Meydan season,” Seemar said. “Both have run very well. We were hopeful but it is never easy to win these races first time on a course.”

The pair doubled up with Genius Step, cosy winner of a 1200m handicap.

Twice a winner last season, this was his third victory locally and he looks progressive.

“This is a horse we have always held in some regard,” Mullen said.

“It would be nice to think he can progress through the ranks with the carnival hopefully on the agenda.”

Silvestre De Sousa was never far off the pace on the Musabah Al Muhairi-trained Muhtaram in a 1600m handicap and committed his mount for home as the runners negotiated the final turn.

That proved a decisive move.

“The trainer said to be positive and the tactics worked perfectly,” De Sousa said.

“I was always happy and knew I had plenty of horse left.”

It was Muhtaram’s first win at his ninth career start.

Trainer and jockey doubled up in the final race, a 1400m handicap, in which Shaishee proved far too good for his ­rivals.

De Sousa employed similar tactics as on his earlier winner and they had the race in safe keeping fully 200m from home.

“I knew I was going best of all a long way out,” the jockey said. “When I asked him to quicken he won his race in a few strides.”

Trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe and stable jockey Royston Ffrench seldom leave Meydan’s opening meeting empty handed and combined to win the following 1400m handicap with Street Act, who grabbed the lead close to home.

“We knew he was fit and well and would be staying on strongly as he ideally needs further,” said Ffrench of Street Act, the runner-up at Jebel Ali last Friday. “It has been a good start to the season.”

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