Drafted seals hat-trick of Al Shindagha Sprint wins for Watson and Dobbs at Meydan

Victory in the evening’s feature also gave Watson and stable jockey Pat Dobbs a third consecutive winner in the dirt dash after success with Cool Cowboy in 2017 and My Catch last year.

In fact the latter was also in the field and bidding for a repeat success this time around, and actually led until the 300 metre pole, My Catch battling with American invader Switzerland through a quick opening 800 metres.

Drafted looked outpaced for the first half of the race but stayed on strongly as Argentine multiple Group 2 winner Tato Key made a bold bid for the lead under Shane Foley. The latter were ultimately caught by Drafted and overpowered in the final 100 metres and had to settle for second three-quarters of a length adrift. Ibn Malik, ridden by Jim Crowley, finished third.

Nine Below Zero, My Catch and Switzerland rounded out the order of finish of the six runners in the major prep for the $2.5 million Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Speaking afterwards about Drafted, Dobbs said; “In his last run, he was very unlucky. He beat My Catch 6½ lengths that day and had a lot of ground to make. He’s younger and on the way up.

“The small field was good today because he had no kickback today (when staying on the outside). I got into the race a little earlier than (I wanted), but he ran really well.

“He has to warm up into it and (close ground). I just get him out of the kickback for the first two or three furlongs and then half-way around, he picked up the bridle and did it himself.”

Watson added: “He just does not have that natural speed, but he tries every time for us and he has been a delight to train.

The smaller field tonight probably helped him a little bit, because it kept him out of the kickback early, so he travelled a little bit better. He is not great with kickback.

He was able to get a nice position early. He travelled a lot better tonight early and was able to use that kick at the end. It was a tough choice for Pat (to pick between Drafted and My Catch) because he thought if My Catch had drawn low, he might have gone with him, but I think he was always going to go with Drafted.”

Thursday’s card also saw the first classic of the UAE season, the Listed UAE 1,000 Guineas which went to France with Silva coming home in emphatic fashion for trainer Pia Brandt.

Restricted to three-year-old fillies, Silva ran out an easy winner to supply jockey Oisin Murphy, who has been in fine form in Japan, with a first 2019 Carnival winner at the first attempt.

Tracking the early pace set by an enthusiastic Lady Parma with Richard Mullen, she sent for home early in the straight and quickly opened up on the opposition, eventually winning by a massive nine and three-quarter length margin.

Race favourite Divine Image, ridden by William Buick, closed well to deny second from Lady Parma, whilst Al Hayette, suffered from her outside barrier draw at post 15 and never factored under Fabrice Veron to eventually finish in tenth place.

The $100,000 Meydan Classic Trial, for three-year-olds on the turf, was won in stylish fashion by Ahmad bin Harmash’s Golden Jaguar.

The horse was an impressive winner over 1000 metres in a conditions race at Jebel Ali on his only previous outing and followed up in similar manner under jockey Connor Beasley this time around. The two length winning margin from Irish Trilogy in second and Sporting Chance in third proved good value once again and bodes well for the anticipated future assignments ahead.

The meeting opened with the only Purebred Arabian contest on the card, the 2200 metre Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 sponsored which was won in ultra-determined fashion by Goshawke

The winner was given a smart ride by Fernando Jara on his only mount during the card and was tracked the leaders before being sent to the front at the top of the straight. A five-year-old and youngest of the 12 runners kept responding to Jara’s urgings throughout the final 400 metres to just deny Mawahib, who looked the likely winner when challenging 350 metres out.

The 1600 metre dirt handicap, the $175,000 Mina Rashid, looked competitive on paper, but proved to be a one-horse race with the Sandeep Jadhav-trained Capezzano winning his second race of the 2018-19 season in impressive style.

Taken straight to the front by Mickael Barzalona and benefitting from poor starts by fellow pace factors Gold Town and Bochart, he demolished the other 13 rivals to win by a staggering 14 lengths; on this showing, this is definitely one horse to watch on the road to the $1.5 million Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup day.

The penultimate race, the $175,000 Jafza Handicap over 2000 metres on turf, was dominated by Godolphin, but supplied the leading owner with its sole victory of the evening.

Race favourite Oasis Charm, saddled by Charlie Appleby, welcomed back stable jockey William Buick with the rider was returning to the Carnival for the first time this year after a suspension incurred in Hong Kong. The horse may have been returning to action after 271 days off but it did not show as he held off a strong charge from the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Team Talk, under Christophe Soumillon, by three quarters of a length, with the Appleby-trained Zaman a head’s distance back in third.

The last race of the meeting, the $135,000 Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal turf handicap, produced a second Carnival winner in as many years for trainer Charlie Fellowes and owner Saeed Bel Obaida

After Prince of Arran’s success in 2018, this time it was Escalator, ridden by Charlie Hayes, rising to the occasion in the 1600 metre, winning by a length and a half from Above N Beyond in second and On The Warpath in third.

Racegoers to Meydan will not have to wait long until the next action with a seven race card this Saturday.