Dwyer off the mark in Dubai

Vodafone Derby-winning rider Martin Dwyer opened his seasonal account in Dubai at the fourth attempt when partnering Gabanna to victory over stable companion Tri Another Cat at Nad Al Sheba this evening.

It was a good effort from the Doug Watson-trained winner, who had been off the track for nearly a year, and the rider was pleased to have broken his duck.

“That’s a good start to the campaign and it’s nice to open the account quickly. It was a good summer at home and I am looking forward to a good winter,” Dwyer, successful with Sir Percy at Epsom in June, said.

Dwyer and Watson completed a double in the concluding mile handicap with Better Mix.

The track’s sixth meeting of the campaign was highlighted by a mile-conditions race won in great style by Blue On Blues.

The Satish Seemar-trained five-year-old, a course and distance winner on his previous start, always looked likely to concede weight all round to his nine rivals.

Winning rider Willie Supple said: “He is a nice horse and seems to be improving.

“He has travelled well and I was always confident we were going to win. Hopefully there is more to come.”

Seemar teamed up with Ted Durcan to land the extended six-furlong conditions race, although the contest was marred by the fatal fall of Al Nitak, who fired Daragh O’Donohoe into the dirt.

O’Donohoe was taken to hospital, conscious, with a damaged collarbone.

Durcan was always prominent on Doctor Hilary in a dramatic race in which both National Icon and Saleem Dubai were stopped in their tracks by a combination of Dwyer’s mount Conceal and, to a lesser extent, the winner.

Doctor Hilary was always going to win from that moment and the four-year-old Mujahid gelding was recording a second win of the season.

Stablemate San Salvador ran on well to take second

Durcan said: “He is a real tough horse and has returned in great form this season after a year off. He seems to be going the right way and hopefully there is more to come.”

Thirty minutes later Richard Mullen rode Adi Selvaratnam’s Malayeen to a comfortable victory in the six-furlong handicap.

Australian-bred, the four-year-old was always prominent and ran on well on his third start of the season.