Murrab wins Listed Jebel Ali Sprint over 1,000m

With two non-runners, he only faced five runners and Paul Hanagan, riding for trainer Musabah Al Muhairi, who has now won the race three times in four years and four in total, was confident throughout.

It was a third course and distance victory and seventh Jebel Ali victory in total for the horse. 

Hanagan explained: “He just loves Jebel Ali where the surface and hill really suit him. I was confident throughout the race.

“We will have to hope for an invitation for one of the Dubai World Cup night sprints.”

The trainer was back in the winner’s enclosure 30 minutes later after stable jockey Silvestre De Sousa drove Conform With Fact to victory in a conditions race over the same 1,000m before Al Muhairi saddled a 1-2 in the concluding 1,400m handicap, Hanagan completing a double on Kanaf who denied De Sousa on Art Wave.

The opening 1,600m conditions race was won by Lanark, who led virtually the whole way under apprentice Saeed Al Mazrooei riding for his boss, trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

Once the pair managed to get to the rail from their wide draw they soon put daylight between themselves and 15 rivals, before kicking further clear halfway up the straight to win easily.

The jockey doubled up on Copperbelt, who won a 1,200m maiden for Adulla bin Huaim. 

Pat Dobbs tried similar tactics in the following 1,800m conditions contest aboard Jutland, winner of this year’s Listed Jebel Ali Stakes, but the pair were headed 300m out by Sefri.

However, Jutland is not a horse who likes to be beaten, especially when allowed to lead at Jebel Ali, and he fought back gamely, breaking Sefri in the final 100m and then holding the late challenge of 2014 Jebel Ali Stakes victor Interpret, on whom De Sousa had been hard at work for a long time.

Watson said: “He is such a lovely tough, genuine horse who loves it here at Jebel Ali and one Pat gets on so well with. When the other horse came to him, he really fought back.”