The reason why the British press is buzzing with talk of youngster Watson
Each season at the Dubai World Cup Carnival we see a few new faces among the training ranks and this year has brought a young man to Dubai whose ambitions and goals include a Carnival Winner.
Archie Watson spent as much of his youth as he could in a racing stable doing anything that would keep him there whether it was just mucking out and sweeping yards or riding horses.
A summer in California with trainer Graham Motion, who saddled Animal Kingdom to win the 2013 Dubai World Cup (G1), cemented his future in racing.
His Edinburgh University stay was interrupted by the call of attending bloodstock sales to the point that thoughts of a degree were abandoned and the fledgling horseman knuckled down to stints at Shadwell Stud in England and Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand.
A “proper” job then came his way, two years running a satellite yard of 30 horses in South Africa for their top trainer Alec Laird. He managed to fit in six months at Santa Anita CA with Brit Simon Callaghan before returning home to take up the position of Assistant to the best husband and wife team in racing of William and Maureen Haggas in Newmarket. The next four years put the finishing touches to the ambitious would be trainer.
Interesting profile
In August 2016 those ambitions came to fruition with the purchase of Saxon Gate Stables in Lambourn and his first runners followed rapidly. Just three months later he ventured back to the US, to the Breeders Cup in Del Mar, running Corinthia Knight to be 4th in The Juvenile Turf behind Aiden O’Briens Declaration of War.
His Stats are an unusual read by UK standards, To date he has had 68 Wins from 328 Runs, a healthy 21 per cent strike rate. So far in 2018 he is 9 for 27 — a 33 per cent win rate!
Watsons winter campaign features recent Quebec Stakes Listed winner Petite Jack who he is priming for the Group 3 Lingfield Winter Derby later this month.
He has brought to the Dubai World Cup Carnival, Absolute Blast, a six-year old filly with an interesting profile. By the very popular sire Kodiac, she started off racing in France, even taking her spot in The Prix de Diane — French Oaks — before disappearing to Saudi where she endured an unsuccessful 7 race campaign. Her then owner returned her to England where she quickly exploited her lowly handicap mark of 72 by winning twice. Subsequently purchased by Apple Tree Stud — the owner / manager partnership of Paul Dunkley and first class ex jump jockey Robert -Choc- Thornton. Since joining Watson she has continued her rise up the ladder and made her first start in Dubai in the Group 2 Cape Verdi. while she didn’t run very well connections are happy with her demeanour since and are hopeful she is on track for a crack at the Balanchine.
I can understand why the British racing press is buzzing with talk of Archie Watson.