Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club general manager Nasser Sherida al-Kaabi (second from right) and QREC racing manager Abdullah Rashid al-Kubaisi (right) with the winners of the Umm Salal Oaks Trial - Purebred Arabians at the QREC yesterday. Umm Qarn's Kareemah, trained by Alban de Mieulle (third from right) and ridden by Jean Baptiste Hamel, won the QAR120,000 race.

By Mikhil Bhat/Doha


La Musawama, owned by Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari, made a smashing Doha debut winning the Umm Salal Oaks Trial – Local Purebred Arabians, a 1400m race for three-year-old fillies at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club turf here yesterday.
The win in QAR120,000 race was jockey Tadgh O’Shea’s second Oaks win of the day having won with Mohamed Hussain-trained Bronze Maquette in the Umm Salal Oaks Trial – Thoroughbreds earlier in the day. La Musawama jostled for space on the back straight before O’Shea got the Majd Al Arab filly to side step and free up.
The Jassim al-Ghazali-trained filly took the lead going into the bend and from there on ran a comfortable race winning two and a half lengths ahead of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Najda and Rashid Antar al-Marri’s Ostorah Dukhan.
“I had two good winners today. I had very good horses on paper but yes the wins mean a lot,” O’Shea told Gulf Times. “This was the first time I won for the al-Ghazali stable and that is great. Really privileged and honoured to have won a race with them.”
Talking about La Musawama, the Irish jockey said, “She was fresh in the beginning and they wouldn’t let her gallop. She was fighting for her space but in the end she did it well and it was all systems go for the Oaks.”
Earlier, Hamad Adel al-Muslimani’s Bronze Maquette showed an amazing turn of foot to win the Class 1 race for three-year-old fillies.
The Dark Angel progeny, trained by Mohamed Hussain and ridden by O’Shea, stayed at the back of the field, even as al-Ghazali’s charges Akeed Misk, owned by Maryam bint Sheail al-Kuwari, and Natural Charm, owned by Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari, took the lead early on. Akeed Misk, with Stephan Ladjadj at the helm, had built up a lead of couple of lengths entering the bend.
With two furlongs to go, Bronze Maquette just took off on the outside, overhauling the entire field except for the leader in a jiffy. Half a furlong to the post, Hussain’s charge was right next to Akeed Misk and eventually won by half a length.
“I know she has the power, even though she is running the 1850m distance for the first time on the Doha turf. But before the season started here, she was in the UK and she ran a 2000m race there among other races,” said trainer Hussain.
“I told the jockey to not take off too early. Jassim al-Ghazali had three horses, Majed Seifeddine had two, Ibrahim al-Malki had two, so I asked Tadgh not to worry. Her power was very handy in the end. I am so very happy with her run and the win.”
O’Shea had run her last Tuesday in the Guineas and she had finished fifth. “That was her first race of the season, and she needed good gallops. Now look, how well she ran,” Hussain added.
In the last race of the day, Umm Qarn’s Kareemah made a winning debut taking the victory in the Umm Salal Oaks Trial-Purebred Arabians ahead of stablemate Tharwah. The Alban de Mieulle’s charges finished ahead of al-Ghazali-schooled Lina Al Mels, owned by Maryam bint Sheail al-Kuwari.
Hussain Ali Bukanan-owned Abrar won her second race this season when Adrie de Vries rode her to victory in the Umm Salal Oaks Trial-Local Thoroughbred.
The Dutch jockey was at the helm of the chestnut filly when she won the Local Thoroughbred Guineas last Tuesday.
Yesterday, Abrar, trained by Zuhair Mohsen, led from pillar to post and started pulling away from the rest of the field with 200m to go, finishing two and a half lengths ahead of Mahbooba, owned by Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, and Princess Noor, owned by Hassan Ali Abdulmalik.
In the Class 5 Thoroughbred Graduation Plate for fillies and mares, Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri’s Charlie’s Wish edged out Al Majd Stud-owned Cappuccino Delight for her third win.
Marco Monteriso rode the four-year-old bay filly on the outside but in the rear group and kept inching forward even as Osama Omar al-Dhafea’s Mallak and Jassim al-Ghazali’s charge Cappuccino Delight led the eight-horse field.
Getting on to the home straight, S. Ibido-trained Charlie’s Wish moved into the top three and made the move at the same time as De Vries and his ride Cappuccino Delight picked up speed to overhaul Mallak. At the post, Charlie’s Wish edged out Cappuccino Delight by a neck, while Mallak was third.
This was Al-Hajri-Ibido combine’s second victory of the day.
Earlier in the day, the owner-trainer duo won the Class 3 Thoroughbred Handicap race with Rebelde. Jaures Marcialis’ ride finished ahead of Mohamed Abdulla A N al-Attiyah’s Sefaat and Abdullah Mohammed al-Kuwari and Sons’ River Goddess.
In the first race of the day, Bint Al Akaber, with De Vries at the helm, shed her maiden status winning the Local Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate for fillies and mares, ahead of Umm Qarn’s Firdous and Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Al Maanagieh.