Seemar leads Top Trainers table

dubai — It may have been another day at the office for American Doug Watson with the six-time and reigning UAE Champion Trainer doing the double at the Meydan Racecourse, but Satish Seemar too matched him with twin wins on the night.

The highly-experienced Dubaibased Indian trainer, who operates out of Zabeel Stables, saddled Cachao, the five-year-old from New Approach, to victory in the Lincoln MKX Handicap.

The narrow victory by a neck over Watson’s Big Brown Bear in the eight-furlong contest, while partnering UAE Champion Jockey Tadhg O’Shea, saw Seemar add to the win that he notched on Heraldic with Richard Mullen in the Lincoln MKC Handicap.

The double perched Seemar at the top of the Top Trainers Championship with 12 wins followed by Eric Lemartinel and Ali Rashid Al Rayhi, who both have 11, Watson is fourth with 10 victories.

Seemar also had a two second place finishes with Welford and Bochart in the Lincoln Navigator Handicap and the Lincoln Continental Trophy respectively and third with Immortalised in the Lincoln MKC.

“Right from start to finish, it worked out for Richard. He broke well and Richard didn’t want to hold him back. It is tough over such a distance and horses get tired but he showed that he can. He’s come around and it is tough to find horses like these,” Seemar said about Heraldic.

Meanwhile Mullen said that taking the lead early with the fiveyear-old from Discreet Cat was not part of their plan.

“To be honest, making the running was probably not the plan, but nobody else seemed to want to lead, so I was then happy to. We went quite quick initially, but I was able to get a breather into him and then he has really battled all the way to the line,” said Mullen.

O’Shea said that the distance suited Cachao. “I ride this horse regularly at home and he is basically a lazy type, but a fast 1600m like this evening does suit him. After I rode him over 1400m last time, I told Satish and the owner (Ali Muktar) back over 1600m he would run a big race. Luckily, it all worked out well,” said O’Shea, who is fourth among the Top Jockeys with nine wins.

Right from start to finish, it worked out for Richard. He broke well and Richard didn’t want to hold him back

Satish Seemar