South African Champion Trainer Mike De Kock won the Group 3 Al Rashidiya for the third time when stable jockey Kevin Shea steered Silver Mist, through the mist, to win the 1777m turf feature in a driving finish.
The Al Rashidiya is the first grass feature of the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival and South Africa have now won four of the last six renewals after Shea took his mount to the front about 200m out.
Third Set and Kirklees chased him home but it was Shea’s moment and he explained: “That was a relief as I had to choose between three of them and am glad I picked this fellow. He picked up well when I won on him a fortnight ago and has done so again tonight.”
UAE Champion Trainer Doug Watson was in double form with Fares and Daragh O’Donohoe making the perfect start to proceedings by winning the opening 1600m Dubal Ingot 1600 dirt handicap, before Dynamic Saint under Ryan Moore won the 2000m Dubal Billet 2000 handicap, also on the dirt.
Watson explained: “I really thought Dynamic Saint would run well and that was a brave effort as he has had to put his head down and battle. Fares we really fancied last week and I am glad we ran him back quickly.”
Ryan Moore went on to complete his own double in the concluding 1600m Dubal Casthouse turf handicap on Herman Brown’s Strategic News whom he produced to lead in the dying strides.
It was a first 2009 winner for the trainer who said: “We thought he would go close and Ryan has timed that perfectly.”
The Dubal Power Dash, the 1000m dirt handicap and shortest race of the Carnival, was won by Change Alley for trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe under Royston Ffrench.
He was another produced to lead in the dying strides on a night of exciting finishes.
It was a great night for the locally-based trainers with Saeed Bin Suroor and Ted Durcan combining with Age of Reason in the Dubal Plotline Trophy, a 2400m turf handicap and Erwan Charpy and Richard Hills landing the Dubal Trophy, a 1500m turf handicap with Ragheed.
That meant five winners for UAE-based trainers and two for those from South Africa.
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