GULF NEWS-SPONSORED RACE MEETING DELIVERS HIGH QUALITY ACTION AT MEYDAN RACECOURSE

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The benefits of utilising Jebel Ali Racecourse as a strategic training ground were well and truly driven home by champion trainer Doug Watson’s stable star Cosmo Charlie, who bounced back to his best form with a striking victory in the feature race at the Gulf News-sponsored race meeting at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday evening.

A well-beaten eighth on his seasonal appearance at Jebel Ali three weeks ago, Cosmo Charlie looked more like the supreme athlete whom we had seen winning the Listed Al Bastakiya last season.

With his owner, Ramzan Kadyrov, President of the Chechen Republic, watching from close quarters on the stand-side rails, the improving four-year-old son of Stay Thirsty, overcame a poor start to snatch the lead on the rails under Pat Dobbs and never put a foot wrong thereafter.

Even the fleeting challenge of Radaini and jockey Connor Beasley was dealt with authority as he changed gears and stretched out majestically for a very popular victory.

Etijaah, also trained by Meydan specialist Watson, ran on impressively for second.

Carnival target

Watson, who was notching a seven winner of the term, confirmed that the Dubai World Cup Carnival, which runs from January 3 to March 30, 2019, would be on the main agenda for Cosmo Charlie, following his next outing in the Dubai Creek Mile on December 20.

“I was then a bit worried he might not get home, but he had that race up the hill (Jebel Ali), which seems to have put him spot-on for this one,” Watson explained.

“He’s a very nice horse on his day, when he gets things his own way.

“He’s maturing and having gelded him, helps. He could be very competitive at the Carnival…. He’s a tough horse.” ■ ■

Meanwhile, Satish Seemar, another former champion trainer in the UAE, continued his strong start to the season, when he bagged a double, including a very impressive victory with Lavaspin, who was recording his second win at Meydan, this time in the Friday handicap.

The four-year-old son of Hard Spun, was never headed once he took the lead under Richard Mullen and was always travelling smoothly to the line.

Seemar commented: “This horse is much improved this season and is another big success from the Godolphin sales, which has been brilliant for attracting new owners.

“He was not that expensive and now we have realised he is a sprinter, we can campaign him accordingly. We tried him over 1,400 metres last season at Jebel Ali when he did not stay, but that is two from two this season and we hope he is a Carnival horse.”

Seemar and Mullen teamed up with Bochart to land the Reach by Gulf News 1,400-metre handicap.

Al Shamkhah won the Inside Out maiden restricted to fillies under Royston Ffrench, while the Baby & Child Trophy, a 1,200-metre maiden, was won by local debutant Kawasir, ridden by Dane O’Neill.

Doug Watson| Champion trainer

Ahmad Ramzan/ Gulf News Cosmo Charlie soaks up the atmosphere at Meydan Racecourse as he stretches to an imposing victory in the gulfnews.com conditions event under jockey Pat Dobbs.

Ahmad Ramzan/ Gulf News Champion UAE trainer Doug Watson (right) enjoys the moment as he receives the gulfnews.com trophy from Meher Murshed (centre), Online Editor, and Sandeep Suvarna (left), Digital Advertising Sales Manager, at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday night. Watson trained the winner, Cosmo Charlie.

Ahmad Ramzan/ Gulf News Mrinal Shekar (centre), Editor, Friday, and Anand Raj OK (left), Features Editor, present trainer Satish Seemar with the Friday Trophy. Seemar’s Lavaspin, a horse purchashed out of the Dubai Horse Sales, won the contest.

Ahmad Ramzan/ Gulf News Sony Thomas (centre), Editor, Wheels, and Priya Nair (left), Sales Manager, hand over the trophy to Ali Rashid Al Rayhi who trained Quartier Francais to win the Wheel handicap, the concluding race of the Gulf News-sponsored meeting.

Ahmad Ramzan/ Gulf News Tabitha Barda (second from left), Editor, Baby & Child, and Mehak Taneja (left), Relationship Manager, Gulf News, present the trophy to Salim Al Sabusi and Musabbeh Al Mheiri, after Kawasir won the Baby & Child Trophy maiden.

Ahmad Ramzan/ Gulf News Mairead Walsh (second from left), Editor, Inside Out, and Ritika Bhatnagar (left), Account Group Manager, present the trophy to Bader Abdul Kareem and Ahmad Al Naqbi after Al Shamkhah won the Inside Out maiden.

Ahmad Ramzan/ Gulf News Anshuman Joshi (left), Publisher – Commercial Publishing, hands over the Reach by Gulf News handicap trophy to Zabeel Stables boss, Satish Seemar, who trained the winner Bochart. Seemar was completing a double on the day.