Mike de Kock dominated last week’s Dubai Carnival card with four winners and he returned to train a treble at Meydan on Thursday night.

De Kock and jockey Christophe Soumillon teamed up for three winners and all of them carried the well-known yellow-and-blue silks of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa.

Hunting Tower (SAf) and Golden Sword (GB) doubled up early on before UAE Oaks winner Raihana (Aus) powered home in an 1800m turf handicap.

Hunting Tower (Fort Wood) started the ball rolling by scoring for the first time in more than two years.  A proper performer in his heyday, the eight-year-old gelding last greeted the judge at Nad Al Sheba in January 2009.  He had won the G1 July Hcp in Durban in 2007.

Golden Sword (High Chaparral) had been second to Fame And Glory in the 2009 Irish Derby and the former Ballydoyle-trainee swamped his rivals to score by more than two lengths at Meydan.  It was his first win since the Chester Vase in May 2009.

Raihana was one of de Kock’s stars at the 2010 Dubai carnival winning Listed UAE Oaks.  She was sent to David Payne’s Sydney stables earlier this season but her spring campaign was cut short after unplaced runs at Warwick Farm and Rosehill.

Raihana (4f Elusive Quality – Esubooh by Sunday Silence) comfortably defeated Fanunalter (Falbrav) and Le Drakkar (Anabaa) in the Dubai Excellence Trophy last night.

The Australian bred filly had won her maiden at Clairwood in July 2009 before travelling to the Gulf for the first time.  She is a direct descendant of champion mare Emancipation (Bletchingly) who was the 1984 Australian Horse of the Year.

Raihana’s dam Esubooh was covered by Red Ransom in 2008 and was exported to Argentina the following year.