'I was really confident' - Eilean Dubh records first win of the season in Watson Memorial Cup

Eilean Dubh enjoyed a prolific first season with Karl Burke last year and the five-year-old got off the mark for the current campaign in the feature 1m½f handicap under Clifford Lee.

Formerly trained by Charles Gourdain in France, Eilean Dubh recorded his first victory for Burke at Newcastle last March and followed up with Sunday Series successes at Hamilton and York. He ended last term with another win at York but was beaten in his first five starts this year, including in competitive handicaps such as the Lincoln and Hambleton.

However, Eilean Dubh built on a third-placed effort at Sandown last time to justify 11-4 favouritism in the £30,000 Watson Memorial Cup.

"I was really confident," Lee told Racing TV. "He was a horse taking his time to come together this year.

"He was a fantastic horse last year and he won a few nice races. It’s brilliant to get another win behind him today and hopefully he wins us a few more."

Eilean Dubh holds entries for Saturday's Coral Challenge at Sandown, the Bunbury Cup over seven furlongs at Newmarket on July 15 and Glorious Goodwood’s Golden Mile next month.

Lee added: "It was a stiff mile and he stays it nicely. I didn’t think we went overly quick early doors but he’s done it well today. He’s got plenty of speed, but at the same time he stays well."

Mulrennan bookends card

Lee was second aboard Burke’s Petra Celera on his only other ride of the day with the 6f maiden going the way of Archie Watson’s Imperiality under Paul Mulrennan.

The winning jockey then completed a double on the card as the Rebecca Menzies-trained Stormy Pearl denied fellow 11-4 joint-favourite Impressor in the closing 5f handicap.

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