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| Staff Writer |
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Doug Watson is perhaps busier than ever as he prepares his campaign to bring the UAE Trainers’ Championship title for the eighth time. Quite a few old and new owners have shown faith in the Red Stables showering him with quite a few new horses to add to his string.
Watson, one of UAE’s oldest trainers, came to Dubai as part of American trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s team and just never went back. As Watson prepares to saddle some of his best horses, headlined Plus Que Parfait and Pakistan Star, over the UAE National Day weekend, Ten Furlong’s speaks to him about his top horses and his plans for them as they prepare for the season.
Q: What are your plans for the season, which are the horses that you're looking to sort of do you know, for the bigger races?
A: We have a lot of the ones similar to last year headlined by Al Tariq, Thegreatcollection, Motafaawit, Canvassed, Midnight Sands, Golden Goal, Waadi, Ekhtiyaar, and Mubakker, who ran once last year. These are the ones we're looking forward to.
Q: What about the new horses you have received?
A: From the new ones Pakistan Star runs on Sunday. We're looking forward to watching how he does on the turf. He's we're very much looking forward to. And that's in the National Day Cup on Sunday.
Then Plus que Parfait runs this weekend at Meydan. We're looking forward to him.
Everfast is new. He was second in the Gr.1 Preakness Stakes in 2019. We're really looking forward to him.
We have another horse from the States called Wrecking Crew. He's only rated 95 but his back form is fantastic. And we liked him. He was third in the Breeders’ Cup juvenile in 2019. The ownership group of Rockingham Ranch and David A Bernsen have sent over six American horses for us, and he's one of the best of those. If we can get him back to that sort of form, then his competitiveness will be very good.
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So and then obviously the horse that ran last Friday Khuzaam on the short trip was too short and it was his first run in a while. I thought he did very well for his first run but he'll go back to Meydan on the dirt for a longer trip. We think he's going to be pretty good and we're looking forward to him.
Cloudbridge, we got him from the Godolphin sale and he likes it looks like a good sort.
Then from our 2YO fillies, we hope to run four in two weeks. I think a couple of those are going to break out and be pretty nice.
From our 2YO colts. We were a little behind on some of them. Taking Names (an Arrogate colt out of the Coronado's Quest mare, Rehear) ran recently and he was very exciting. We're looking forward to him racing him in three weeks. And then we have a couple of other really nice ones called Golden Arch and Seven Drums that we're looking forward to.
Q: How many horses have you currently got?
A: We got a good 124 Horses right now. A lot is going on. It's very exciting.
Q: What about from your older horses?
A: From the older ones I thought Mnasek was unbelievable when raced two weeks ago. She was carrying five kilos more than all the colts and still finished second. We have planned to run on the Turf in something like the Cape Verdi or Balanchine against mares and fillies so that way she's level weights. I just thought she ran outstanding, and I couldn't have been more impressed with her. The trip was probably a bit too short.
We also have Celtic Striker who runs this weekend. I think he was a bit rusty and carrying top weights when we ran him the last time a few weeks ago and I think you'll see a different horse this time. He was fifth against the 2021 Dubai World Cup-winning- Mystic Guide in the Gr.2 Jim Dandy last year.
We're looking forward to racing Shadwell’s Al Qaqaa.
We have two from the Rockingham Ranch and David A Bernsen ownership group called Scabbard who was fourth in the Breeders Cup Juvenile (2019) and another horse called American Dancer. So far, we're pretty impressed with American Dancer and I would like to see how he stacks up against horses over here.
We also have a new 5YO that we're all excited about called Prince Eiji for Sheikh Mohammed bin Obaid Al Maktoum.
Q: Prince Eiji is a very interesting name. How did it come about?
A: Sheikh Mohammed bin Obaid Al Maktoum lets the trainer's name his horses. Prince Eiji was earlier trained by Roger Varian and his son's name is Eiji.
I got to name our Arrogate colt Taking Names. And Nobody’s Joke.
Q: How is Taking Names doing?
A: He won by his maiden (6f) race by 8.25 lengths. We are taking him step-by-step but I hope to race him in the UAE Guineas in the new year. He's a really nice horse and we were really impressed with him. TDN spotlighted him as their Rising Star.
Q: And my last question for you is, are you seeing the quality of horses coming to the region improving due to the big races that have been launched in the last couple of years?
A: We have 124 horses now and we have owners of all different backgrounds. Yes, they are trying to get those horses that are eligible for Carnival and then hopefully World Cup night. So yes, there's a lot of interest I think and hopefully, that continues.