Capitalising Hitchcott rides a superb hat-trick for Watson

By Duane Fonseca

Dubai: Sam Hitchcott appears to be making the most of his time in the saddle in the absence of Doug Watson’s first choice rider Pat Dobbs and was on hand to ride a hat-trick at Jebel Ali Friday afternoon.

Hard ridden: Sam Hitchcott and Gabr (right) put in the hard work during their win in the feature at Jebel Ali Friday, Nov 13 (ERA)

Hitchcott has played second fiddle to Dobbs all along, but Dobbs' picking up an injury Thursday morning prior to racing at Meydan on 5 November has provisionally elevated Hitchcott's position as first rider.

And the diminutive Englishman is not just starting to look the part, but is playing it as well.

Last week, he rode Rio Angie to victory in the feature at Meydan and has now boosted his position in the UAE Jockeys' Championship race with a treble that included the feature event at Jebel Ali.

Victory with Gabr in the 1600m Conditions event sponsored by Shadwell started a late hat-trick bid for himself and Watson that ended with Torno Subito shedding his maiden status in a maiden affair over 1600m. In between, Just A Penny delivered the goods in an 1800m handicap with Hitchcott aboard.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum-owned Gabr, 5yo Intello gelding, was simply exceptional under Hitchcott, who kept him just off the pace set by Salem bin Ghadayer’s favourite Captain Von Trapp.

With 450m left to run, Captain Von Trapp started to feel the heat and faded under pressure from Ali Rashid Al Rayhi’s Sandro Paiva ridden Zaajer. That allowed Gabr to run to the lead along the outside.

Once in front, bannermate Eqtiraan, trained by Al Rayhi and ridden by Dane O’Neill, pitched in with a challenge that ended up being thwarted rather easily as Gabr showed him a clear pair of heels to finish a length clear. Zaajer was third at the post, a further nine and a quarter lengths in arrears.

Mohd Khalifa Al Basti owned Just A Penny (ERA)

Hitchcott then won the 1800m handicap just as easily with Just A Penny taking up the running from another Watson charge in the Adrie de Vries ridden Grand Argentier 300m out to win with three and a quarter lengths to spare. In third place, a further five and a quarter behind was Bin Ghadayer’s Montsarrat carrying Royston Ffrench.

Torno Subito also won under Hitchcott (ERA)

Torno Subito tasted his first career success on the 10th time of asking in the 1600m maiden. The 5yo Shamardal gelding ran in three and a quarter clear of Al Hadeer with Bladesmith further back in third by the same margin.

Bin Ghadayer made it a 1-2 in the final race of the card, the 1950m handicap, with the Jose Santiago ridden Untold Secret heading stable companion Tailor’s Row, with Ffrench up, over the final strides to win by a neck. A further five lengths back was Tafaakhor for Al Rayhi and rider O’Neill.

Untold Secret (right) with Jose Santiago up beats Tailor's Row (ERA)

It was extra disappointing for Ffrench who with that defeat ceded the chance to join Hitchcott at the top of the jockeys’ rankings. He now trails six time winner Hitchcott by one.

The seven race card started with a 1400m handicap for Purebred Arabians which was won by the Ernst Oertel schooled and Antonio Fresu ridden AF Al Moreeb. Khalifa Al Neyadi’s AF Almajhaz with apprentice Abdul Aziz Al Balushi was two and a half lengths back in second, while Jacki Wickham’s Hajjar W’Rsan finished third a short head back in the hands of Hitchcott.

Khalid Khalifa Al Nabooda owned AF Al Moreeb won the only Purebred Arabian race on the card for trainer Ernst Oertel and rider Antonio Fresu (ERA)

Jebel Ali resident trainer Nicholas Bachalard opened his account for the season with 3yo Lea colt Shamikh winning the 1400m maiden by a length under Ryan Curatolo. Watson accounted for second and third with Welcome Surprise and Coast Sky finishing with three and a quarter lengths between them in under O’Neill and De Vries respectively.

Ryan Curatolo pilots Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Shamikh to victory for trainer Nicholas Bachalard (ERA)

Al Rayhi and Connor Beasley were the other trainer rider combination to feature on the podium and the pair were called up after One Vision’s two and a quarter length success ahead of Bin Ghadayer’s Fraserburgh in the 1600m handicap. A further four and a half back in third was Maqaadeer for Watson and O’Neill.

Ali Rashid Al Rayhi trained One Vision winning under Beasley (ERA)

While Hitchcott finds himself at the top of the Jockeys’ Championship, his boss Watson is one ahead of Bin Ghadayer in the trainers’ race with seven wins.