Doug Watson set a record by winning all six races, with his stable jockey Pat Dobbs on board five of them, at Meydan’s second meeting of the season on Thursday. Dane O’Neill, the retained jockey of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, atop Waady, rode the other. “It was a whole team effort,” said Watson. “It’s a fantastic feeling to have five different owners winning for us tonight. We have nice owners and the people who work for me are fantastic.” Rio Angie set the ball rolling. She made an impressive start to her career. So much so, Watson declared she would run in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial, the Guineas itself and the UAE Oaks. Jumping out of gate 1, Dobbs won the 1,200-metre maiden by four and-three-quarter lengths from Ahmad bin Harmash’s Majhoola under Connor Beasley. “She’s shown it at home but you never know until they get here,” the American said of the two-year-old Honor Code filly. “She’s done everything perfectly at home. She was a bit keen tonight but ran on nicely and should improve for her next run. We’ll run her in the Trials in January and then the Guineas and the Oaks, if all goes well.” Watson and Dobbs then combined for a quick treble by taking the next two prizes with Trenchard and Mulfit. Trenchard turned the second race into a procession and Mulfit came with a strong late run to wear down Rashed Bouresly’s pair Shanaghai City and Alla Mahlek. O’Neill then gate crashed the party by steering Waady to take the fourth race from a former Watson inmate Pop The Hood, now trained by Satish Seemar, by a length and quarter. Dobbs was back at the winner’s enclosure on Tried And True getting the better of Salem bin Ghadayer’s pair Walk In The Sun and Bois De Boulogne by half-a-length and a length and-a-quarter respectively. Midnight Sands came more than four lengths clear of Mazeed to complete the sweep for Watson. The six winners took Watson’s tally to eight and on top of the board in the UAE Trainer’s Championship after five meetings. Racing continues over the weekend with Abu Dhabi hosting their second meeting on Friday followed Sharjah’s second on Saturday.
