Progressive Al Nayyir makes it three for the season

Finding quality horses is rarely a problem for Doug Watson but he might now have another Carnival runner to look forward to after Al Nayyir (pictured) made it three wins for the season on Sunday, taking the featured 75-95 handicap at Meydan Racecourse.

The five-year-old Dubawi gelding had won in dramatic fashion when weaving through horses three weeks ago but this was much smoother. Dropping in trip for the DVCC Voyage Handicap, over 2000metres on turf, he and Pat Dobbs came with a confident run on the outside and beat Carnival winner Withering by a length and a quarter.

“Last year we ran him on the turf just to get a run into him and I was surprised how well he went,” said Dobbs. “This was a better race, but he’s a horse on the up and he doesn’t do much at home so he looks after himself.”

It was a landmark occasion for Dobbs who rode a treble for Watson, taking the jockey to 300 winners in the UAE. The third came on Qareeb, who racked up his second win of the campaign, grinding out a narrow success in the DVCC Elegant Lifestyle Handicap, over 1900metres on dirt.

Travelling just off the pace throughout, the five-year-old stuck to his task well to prevail over Grand Dubai by half a length.

“The first time I rode him here he was too keen, but we had a different bit on him tonight and he settled really well,” said Dobbs, who picked out Second Summer’s 2017 G2 Godolphin Mile win as the highlight of his time in the UAE. “That was like an old-style dirt race in that they went an even pace throughout and didn’t go stupid up front. He’s a tough horse as he gets plenty of racing.”

The Dobbs and Watson treble started in race two, when Sari Dubai won at the seventh attempt in the DVCC Maiden, over 1600metres on turf. The four-year-old was trying the surface for the first time and had to dig deep to see off Made In Dubai by half a length, the two having a good battle inside the final furlong and pulling well clear of third Chef De Partie.

“I think I’ve been making too much use of him on the dirt,” said Dobbs. “He normally jumps well so he’s hard to take back. When the gap came I gave him a squeeze and he quickened up really good today.”

Another with Carnival options now will be Open Mind, who gave Danny Tudhope and Saeed Bin Suroor a third winner of the weekend, taking the DVCC Expedition Handicap, over 1400metres on turf.

Making his local debut as the sole Godolphin runner on the card, the four-year-old was successful on the All-Weather at Chelmsford in September and collected a first turf win here, running on well from mid-division and easily beating Western Symphony by half a length at the line.

“I thought they went very hard in front,” said Tudhope. “I was happy where I was and that I was going to pick them up easy enough when we turned in. When he got there he just did what he had to do.

Another trainer in excellent form is Ahmad Bin Harmash and that continued when Magic Petition enjoyed his return to dirt in the DVCC Adventure Handicap, over 1200metres.

Making just his fourth start, the three-year-old son of Good Magic was well-positioned to pounce when leader Al Hadeer began to falter and raced away for a taking five and three-quarter length win.

“He was a bit of a ‘boy’ for his first run, but he ran well the second time,” said jockey Ray Dawson. “You can put a run through his turf run as he’s not a turf horse, so coming here today was the perfect opportunity for him; we were drawn well and he’s a horse who will get a mile. The blinkers were there to sharpen him up. He came off the bridle early but he finished strong.”

It took until the final race for Champion Trainer Bhupat Seemar to get on the scoresheet when Leading Spirit won for the first time in almost three years in the DVCC Handicap, over 1000metres on turf. Breaking well, jockey Pat Cosgrave made a beeline for the stands-side rail and stayed there in the lead, just hanging on at the line from stablemate Ranaan.

“This year he’s wanted to hang left-handed and last time over six furlongs I couldn’t get to the rail and it was hard to ride him,” said Cosgrave. “It was a good plan from Bhupat and the owners to bring him back after a week and to go back in trip.”

January 15^th will be a day to remember for Seemar’s apprentice Connor Planas, as the 19-year-old apprentice rode his first UAE winner at the 42^nd attempt when RB Seqondtonone won the opening DVCC Metaverse Conditions event for Purebred Arabians.

The Helal Al Alawi-trained seven-year-old needs clever handling and was produced at the perfect time by Planas to deny longtime leader AF Almomayaz by a length and three-quarters.

Meydan returns to action on Friday when the Group 2 Zabeel Mile is the highlight of a seven-race card.