DUBAI // Kieren Fallon opened his Meydan Racecourse account with a win at the first meeting and the six-time British champion jockey wants to add another over the next two days. Fallon won for Luca Cumani on Drunken Sailor three weeks ago and has a number of opportunities to make another trip to the winners' enclosure over the double header which starts tonight.
"I started very well with Drunken Sailor and hopefully we can continue, but things haven't quite been as lucky for me the last couple of meetings," said Fallon yesterday. "I wasn't riding great either. When things go against you, you try different things and it doesn't always work out. Hopefully, this weekend I will be riding with a bit more confidence and will ride a couple of winners." Drunken Sailor offers hope of victory in a 1m 3f handicap tomorrow, but Fallon's attention will be fixed on this evening's card and an Emirates Classic: the UAE 2,000 Guineas.
He rides Maroon Machine, runner-up by a nose in a Listed outing in France in November, for Eoghan O'Neill. Yet Maroon Machine takes on a very capable field bursting with unknown quantities in what promises to be an interesting renewal of the annual race. Trainers Herman Brown and Doug Watson both saddle exciting Argentine imports. Watson's Quartier Latin, owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, has been pleasing his trainer on the Al Quoz dirt and handled the Tapeta well on a recent outing on the synthetic surface.
"I was very happy with his work," said Watson of the colt. "I couldn't have asked for anything more from him. He has a very nice manner about him." Brown's UAE Derby hope, Strom Chizpaso, will go to the gate under British champion jockey, Ryan Moore. @Email:stregoning@thenational.ae
