HAMDAN AND TRAINER WATSON COME AWAY WITH DOUBLE SUCCESSES
It was one of those wonderful afternoons that sport specialises in as the curtain came down on the 2017-2018 racing season at Jebel Ali Racecourse.
From the riveting action on the track to the capacity crowd who applauded each of the six winners on the competitive day’s card. Everyone was involved and enjoyed the final day’s action. A perfect prelude to next Saturday’s mega $20-million Dubai World Cup meeting at the UAE’s iconic Meydan Racecourse.
For the record, Doug Watson, who was earlier in the week confirmed as champion trainer for the sixth time, and third in a row, sent out two more winners to take his tally to 47 for the season.
Among them were Cosmo Charlie (Sam Hitchcott), who simply bolted away with the feature race of the afternoon, the 1,400 metre Jebel Ali Classic (Silver Jubilee) Stakes Sponsored By Shadwell Farm.
Watson won the inaugural running of the race last year with Shamaal Nibras, who has picked up an invitation to run in the $1-million Godolphin Mile at the Dubai World Cup.
A winner of the 1,900m Listed Al Bastakiya on Super Saturday last year, Cosmo Charlie appeared to appreciate the drop in grade leading all the way to win rather comfortably from Sholaan, who is trained on the track by Gopi Selvaratnam.
“He a lot better horse since he was gelded,” said Hitchcott. “He looks a nice prospect for next year and a mile is probably right for him.”
If Cosmo Charlie was authoritative in victory Just A Penny (Pat Dobbs) was even more ruthless on his four rivals, coasting to a 10.5 length victory in the 1950 metre Shadwell Handicap.
The afternoon kicked off with a 1,800m handicap supported by the American University in Dubai, which was won by the Erwan Charpytrained Alecko, a five-year-old son of Cape Cross who was posting a second victory of the season at Jebel Ali.
Ridden by Charpy’s retained jockey, Antonio Fresu, the exMark Johnston trainee ran on well inside the final two furlongs to easily run down First Down (Liam Tarentaal) and Tradesman (Hitchcott).
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, who has been a major patron of Jebel Ali Racecourse, was rewarded with a pair of victories in the final two races of the season.
Taneen claimed the first of these when winning the 1,000 metre Shadwell Rated Conditions Stakes under a disciplined ride by Dubai World Cup-winning jockey Fernando Jara.
Shaikh Hamdan’s colours were carried to victory again in the concluding Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM)sponsored 1,200m handicap by Alraased, the mount of the owner’s retained rider, Dane O’Neill.