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Saturday’s meeting up the famous Jebel Ali hill was highlighted by the Jebel Ali Stakes Prep, a conditions contest over 1800m, 150m shorter than the Listed race itself, won last season, at the end of February, by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s Lost Eden who was able to overcome a penalty for that big race victory, successfully conceding weight to eight rivals and providing Pat Dobbs a double and a third consecutive winner on the card for Doug Watson.
Dobbs always looked confident settled in midfield, on the rail, before edging closer approaching the final 500m and hitting the front just over 200m out, the 5yo gelded son of Sea The Stars always in control thereafter.
Watson said: "He is better over 1950m so that was very pleasing on his first run back since the end of February and under a penalty. The Jebel Ali Stakes looks the ideal next target then we can look at Meydan and the carnival."
Shadwell's Fanaar ran out the comfortable winner of a 1400m handicap, the owner's retained jockey Dane O'Neill in the saddle for Watson aboard the 6yo Dark Angel gelding, registering consecutive course and distance victories having taken 19 attempts to open his UAE account and he now has four career successes to his name.
Watson said: "He has always been a nice horse and has run plenty of good races. It was a nice 28 days since that first win for us which was ideal and he deserved that win a month ago. He loves it here at Jebel Ali so will look for something here but we also have the option of the 1200m turf straight at Meydan."
Watson completed a quick double with the equally impressive Colour Up in the following 1000m handicap, this time combining with Pat Dobbs in the colours of Sayed Hashish, the 4yo gelded son of Mehmas now winner of half his four starts, adding this prize to a 1200m maiden success at Meydan 16 days ago.
Dobbs was happy to chase eventual runner-up Meshakel until entering the final 200m when he set sail for home with the race soon in safekeeping.
Watson said: "This looked a good spot to try and get him a carnival rating which we have hopefully achieved and there is a handicap at Meydan in a month hopefully. It was not ideal running him back so quickly but there was nothing else for him.
"Hopefully he can go to the carnival and perhaps come back here for the Jebel Ali Sprint later on."
The 1400m maiden which kicked off proceedings was turned into a procession by Quality Humor , always travelling well under Ray Dawson, in the colours of Sultan Ali and in control once sent to the front entering the final 400m for Ahmad bin Harmash.
It was a deserved success for the 3yo son of Distorted Humor who had finished runner-up on his three previous outings this season, his first appearances since being gelded over the summer.
Dawson said: "He has just improved all season and is a bigger, stronger and more mature horse now. We are hoping he will be a carnival horse with further progression."
The 1800m handicap was won in determined fashion by Justice Protecol, a 3yo Time Test colt, who responded gamely to the urgings of Fernando Jara to double his career tally, wining for the first time locally, for Ismail Mohammed and Saeed Al Tayer.
A 1600m maiden for 3yos concluded the card and City King, making it third time lucky, caused something of a shock under Oscar Chavez, a first UAE winner for owner Hamad Abdulla Ali Obaid Alshamshi and second for rookie trainer Osama Refai in his first season.
