It was Caid de l’Ardus’ third straight win and eighth straight top-two finish as Ghazali and Convertino swept both features this week

Champion Trainer Jassim Ghazali and jockey Pier Convertino combined well yet again as Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari-owned Caid De L’Ardus won a thriller of an Umm Qarn Cup at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) yesterday.
In the mile-long feature on turf, Convertino had his five-year-old ride move into the lead early on and just about managed to stay ahead of them all at the post, with Alban de Mieulle’s ward, TM Thunder Struck, breathing down his neck.
Caid de l’Ardus registered his third straight win and eighth straight top-two finish, and in the process helped Ghazali and Convertino sweep both the features this week.
Hadi al-Ramzani-saddled Almuheet finished a further length and a half down for third place under Alberto Sanna.
In the penultimate race of the day, Notalot emerged as the first winner of the season for Ahmed Kobeissi, when the Sanna-ridden gelding won the Thoroughbred Plate event for three-year-olds only.
Sanna and Notalot got along well as they cruised past the post, four and a half lengths ahead of Flower Festival, making her QREC debut under Marc Lerner for trainer Hamad al-Jehani, while Ghazali’s Wayside Flower made it to the frame under JP Guillambert.
Jean Baptiste Hamel helmed Majed Seifeddine’s ward, Binzart, in the six-furlong Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 75-95, and after going through traffic in the final furlongs of the sprint, they emerged victorious.
Al-Ramzani-trained Top Face and Mohamed Hussain’s Copleys Walk were second and third respectively.
Trainer Mohamed Jassim Ghazali registered his first win of the season with Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari-owned Zahwa in the Local Purebred Arabian Handicap event for horses rated 85 and below.
Convertino had Zahwa pick up pace coming off the bend in the mile long race, and the duo surged past Pierre Deymonaz-saddled Namroud and then early leader Samhan Al Shajaa, trained by Hassan al-Matwi, in the final 50 metres, for a four and a half-length victory.
Anas al-Seyabi’s ride, Samhan Al Shajaa, was second ahead of Namroud, with Marvin Suerland astride.
After a successful Wednesday outing that saw two of their runners pick up victories, Injaaz Stud’s only winner on the day was Mubarak al-Khayarin-trained Sir Guy Porteous, who registered his second victory in Qatar yesterday.
Al-Seyabi had the six-year-old gelding closely follow early leader Greyscape, who weakened in the final two furlongs, but Sir Guy Porteous built a healthy lead up front.
Mohamed Jassim Ghazali’s Al Muraqabah looked set for a runner-up finish under Convertino, till More Than A Dream, helmed by Marc Lerner, made a run for it wide outside and edged out the filly by a nose at the post.
In the Class 4 Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 80 and below, Khalid Nasser al-Naimi-trained Parkes and Ride registered his third career win edging out Mohamed Jassim Ghazali’s Al Maftoon at the post by a quarter of a length.
Parkes and Ride showed some amazing pace under Darren Williams on the final stretch, running alongside Zuhair Mohsen’s Trading Profit a furlong out before Convertino had Al Maftoon join the party. Soon it was a duel and Al Maftoon couldn’t do much as Parkes and Ride found some extra reserves to move ahead for a victory.
In the first two races of the day, Mohamed Rashid al-Kuwari-trained Yatzakhan and Hassan al-Matwi’s Raqee shed their respective maiden status.

Race 1: 1. Yatzakhan (Marvin Suerland), 2. Ibn Al Ameed (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 3. AJS Lafan (Saleem Golam), 4. Hatem (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 1/2, 1 3/4, Shd. Owner: Rashid Khamil Saif al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Rashid Seif al-Kuwari.
Race 2: 1. Raqee (Marc Lerner), 2. Al Ghawja (Alberto Sanna), 3. Radhwa (Marvin Suerland), 4. Arbed (Jean Baptiste Hamel). Won by: 4 3/4, No, 1. Owner: Hassan al-Matwi. Trainer: Hassan al-Matwi.
Race 3: 1. Parkes and Ride (Darren Williams), 2. Al Maftoon (Pier Convertino), 3. Trading Profit (Marvin Suerland), 4. Poet’s Song (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 1/4, 2 1/4, 1 3/4. Owner: Khalid Nasser al-Naimi. Trainer: Khalid Nasser al-Naimi.
Race 4: 1. Sir Guy Porteous (Anas al-Seyabi), 2. More Than A Dream (Marc Lerner), 3. Al Muraqabah (Pier Convertino), 4. Bluebeard (Marvin Suerland). Won by: 2 1/2, No, 1 1/4. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Mubarak al-Khayareen.
Race 5: 1. Zahwa (Pier Convertino), 2. Samhan Al Shajaa (Anas al-Seyabi), 3. Namroud (Marvin Suerland), 4. Afra (Stephan Ladjadj). Won by: 2 1/4, 2 1/4, 1/2. Owner: Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 6: 1. Binzart (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 2. Top Face (Alberto Sanna), 3. Copleys Walk (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Erroneous (Pier Convertino). Won by: 1 1/4, Nk, 3/4. Owner: Mubarak bin Saeed al-Jafai al-Naimi. Trainer: Majed Seifeddine.
Race 7: 1. Notalot (Alberto Sanna), 2. Flower Festival (Marc Lerner), 3. Wayside Flower (JP Guillambert), 4. Pleasletmewin (Pier Convertino). Won by: 4 1/2, Hd, Shd. Owner: Mohamed Kazim al-Ansari and Sons. Trainer: Ahmed Kobeissi.
Race 8: 1. Caid de l’Ardus (Pier Convertino), 2. TM Thunder Struck (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 3. Almuheet (Alberto Sanna), 4. Zameer (Marc Lerner). Won by: Hd, 1 1/2, 1. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.