Pat Dobbs and Doug Watson in treble form at Meydan

The five-and-three-quarter length victory in the Group 2 contest was the first for Dobbs who went on to land two more races on the seven-race card presented by Longines.

All eyes were on AF Mathmoon, the winner of this race in 2016 who is trained by Musabbeh Al Mheiri at Oasis Stables who went on to win the Dubai Kahayla Classic on Dubai World Cup day.

However, dropping back in distance to 1400 metre did not seem to suit him and his jockey, Fernando Jara, in contrast to Dobbs who aboard the Majed Al Jahouri-trained Shateh always looked content.

Sporting the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mansour Al Nahyan, Shateh jumped straight to the front with Dobbs and having shot clear at the halfway point out, the combination was cruised to victory, breaking the track record in the process.

AF Mathmoon held second but never threatened to bridge the gap to the winner, with Burning Breeze snatching a distant third.

Dobbs was in the winner’s enclosure again thanks to the Doug Watson-trained Desert Force who secured an easy success in the first of two 1400 metre handicaps, the Longines Master Collection.

Dobbs was able to secure the favoured rail position once again and Watson’s charge stalked the early pace set by Ribaat before leaving that rival trailing in his wake at the halfway mark.

Once clear Desert Force went on to win by an impressive seven lengths margin from Bannock a distant second and Archaic a further six and a half lengths back in third.

The Dobbs and Watson combination then secured the second 1400 metre handicap, The Longines Dolce Vita, this time courtesy of Mathematics.

Settled in second, Mathematics passed the tiring leader Alraased early in the straight and the race was over as a contest to complete a treble for the jockey and double for the trainer.

Watson went on to complete his treble for the evening in the closing 2000 metre Longines Elegance in Equestrian, when his Tried and True powered across the line under Sam Hitchcott.

The Longines La Grande Classique, a 1200 metre maiden, was won in impressive fashion by debutant Shoreditch. Having led virtually the whole way under Adrie de Vries, the four and a quarter length success provided Al Mheiri with some compensation after the defeat of AF Mathmoon.

Dutchman De Vries then went onto complete a double, riding Stormardal to a comfortable victory in the Longines Performance in Equestrian.

Riding for his main employer, Ismail Mohammed, in this 1600 metre handicap, the jockey was content to bide his time at the rear of the pack with a fierce pace battle ensuing up front with Philosopher ridden to lead by Xavier Ziani after a slow start.

Dobbs on Active Spirit looked as though he had wanted the lead but could not get to the rail, with Heavy Metal and Town’s History on their heels.

That quartet led into the straight but Stormardal, who had made effortless progress to track them, swept past Heavy Metal to win easily by two lengths.

The first Thoroughbred contest was the Longines Conquest Classic, a 1400 metre fillies’ maiden in which all bar one of the eight runners were two-year-olds.

The younger brigade dominated and Ahmad bin Harmash, saddled debutante Nomorerichblondes to a determined victory under Antonio Fresu.

Settled in the middle of the pack, the winner made good progress to challenge Mabrouka on the home turn and the pair had the race between themselves thereafter.

Fresu’s mount hit the front 300 metres out and ran on well to win by a length and a quarter, chased valiantly by Mabrouka in second with the pair then a long way back to the rest.