Doug Watson and Tadhg O’Shea claim doubles at Meydan

Mutasayyid was an impressive winner of the feature race, the District One Mansions handicap, giving trainer Doug Watson and his Red Stables operation a double on the card.

Mutasayyid was one of five horses owned by HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the 1600 metre handicap race on the turf, which saw jockey Pat Dobbs sporting a distinguishing red cap suggesting he was far from the most fancied of the quintet. However it turned out to be a fairly comfortable success for the pair.

Having been well drawn in four, the jockey was able to get an early lead, saving ground on the fence before taking the initiative at halfway. With 500 metres left to run, he committed for home and soon opened up daylight between themselves and 13 rivals and always looking likely to hold on which Mutasayyid and Dobbs did in some comfort by a length.

Seven horses were in contention for the Meydan Sobha Trophy, a 2000 metre handicap on the dirt, but it was the Watson-trained Active Spirit who really stood out, going straight to the front under Sam Hitchcott and staying there.

Drawn widest of all, Hitchcott moved his mount from the stalls and into a lead they would not relinquish, kicking clear a full 900 metres from home and staying on strongly to win by a huge six and three-quarter lengths.

Jockey O’Shea then employed identical tactics aboard the Ali Rashid Al Rayhi-trained Mutahaddith to land the District One Villas, a 1200 metre handicap also on the dirt.

Drawn in stall one, they broke sharply and were soon able to gain the lead, utilising their rail draw to save ground with O’Shea kicking for home at the top of the straight. That left their seven rivals always chasing and Mutahaddith never then looked likely to be caught. Estidraak was second a length and a quarter back with Lytham St Annes in third.

Al Rayhi and O’Shea were at it again in the penultimate race on the card, the District One Trophy, which was won by Prepared.

Run over 1600 metres on the dirt, the winner settled initially on the rail just behind the leaders before shooting through a gap when it appeared. Prepared quickened to go clear and opened up a decisive advantage which was three and a half lengths in distance at the line from Secret Ambition in second and Aleko in third.

The opening race of the night, the Meydan Sobha, was won comprehensively by the Satish Seemar-trained Securities.

This turf maiden race was run over 1800 metres and the leaders appeared to set a surprisingly fast early pace considering the distance. Securities’ jockey Colm O’Donoghue was happy to take his time and settled his mount in the middle of the pack and it was only as the field was on the home turn the pair began to close the race down.

As those ridden prominently dropped out of contention, O’Donoghue swept Securities to the front about 400 metres out, a position from where were never going to be caught. Securities crossed the line more than six lengths clear from Al Madam and Big Sigh in second and third respectively.

Trainer and jockey completed a double in the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City – District One thanks to a hard fought success by Heraldic.

This second 2000 metre dirt handicap saw Day Of Conquest set a searing early pace, from which O’Donoghue was content to take a lead and sat just behind the pace on Heraldic who was always seemingly travelling strongly.When Day Of Conquest began to falter and fall back 900 metres out, Heraldic was soon in front and most of their 13 rivals appeared in trouble.

Cachao loomed large on the home turn, looking a big danger but Heraldic just kept galloping to the line, whilst his rival weakened close to home and eventually lost out on second to Bueller.

The concluding 1200 metre turf race, the District One handicap, was claimed by Master Of War under apprentice George Buckell and trained by Dhruba Selvaratnam.

The next racing at Meydan is next Saturday, 4 March, with the Dubai World Cup Carnival’s Super Saturday, the official dress rehearsal for the US$30m Dubai World Cup on Saturday 25 March.