The royal blue colours of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani and Al Shahania Stud fluttered high on the day after trainer Julian Smart and jockey Theo Bachelot combined well for three victories on the day, including Ba’sil winning the six-furlong feature, Losail Cup, at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club yesterday.
Ba’sil led early on before Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Caid de l’Ardus briefly moved up front under Harry Bentley on the home stretch.
Bachelot timed it just right and the six-year-old Smart ward picked up pace once more, but so did Almuheet and Zameer under Tomas Lukasek and Marc Lerner respectively.
At the post, Ba’sil had edged out Almuheet by a nose, while Caid de l’Ardus had to settle for third by a head.
Two French recruits saddled by Smart, Al Shaman and Oryx, picked up wins on their Qatar debuts, winning the Class 4 Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 80 and below, and Class 3 Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 70-90 respectively.
Al Shaman’s blistering speed on the home stretch took him past the post, two-and-a-half lengths ahead of Jassim Mohamed Ghazali-trained Yaarmen, the UK recruit who was ridden by British jockey Harry Bentley, while Ibrahim al-Malki’s Could Be had to settle for third under Eduardo Pedroza.
Champion Trainer Ghazali had to settle for a runner-up finish yet again when Al Shahania Stud’s Oryx held on by a short head, while Almotasem al-Balushi guided Hillside Dream to a close second. Another Ghazali ward, Hope Cove, was third with Harry Bentley astride.
Yousef Bentaher’s Molheb Al Naif continued with his excellent strike rate winning the 2000m Local Purebred Arabian Conditions race with ease ahead of Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Al Rayyan, while a Smart runner made it to the frame once again with Hagwa in third.
In the Class 3 Thoroughbreds race for fillies and mares, Ibrahim al-Malki-saddled Mango Tango kept her perfect record this season winning her second straight outing under Eduardo Pedroza. The four-year-old, owned by Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi, beat Zman Awal for the victory while Mohamed Hussain-schooled Bronze Maquette completed the top three.
Umm Qarn’s Kamila won her first turf race in Qatar when Jean Baptiste Hamel guided the four-year-old Alban de Mieulle charge to victory in the Local Purebred Arabian Handicap event for horses rated 80 & below. Mansoor Mesfer al-Hajri-saddled Haddaj Dukhan edged out Smart’s Fazan for the second spot by a short head.
Earlier in the day, Mohamed Hamad al-Attiyah-trained Pale Enchantment gave Swedish rider Elliot Ohgren 20 valuable points in the Fegentri Gentlemen’s Rider standings, while also shedding her maiden status.
Thomas Guineheux strengthened his position at the top with a second place finish on Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani-schooled Flower Festival.
In the second race of the day, Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani’s ward, Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Wathanan, shed his maiden status on his first run this season with jockey Vaclav Janacek opening his account in Qatar in the process.

RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Pale Enchantment (Elliot Ohgren), 2. Flower Festival (Thomas Guineheux), 3. Shagaf (Andrea Besana), 4. Astrolabe (Jindrich Fabris). Won by: No, 17, 2 1/4. Owner: Ali Hamad al-Attiyah. Trainer: Mohamed Hamad al-Attiyah.
Race 2: 1. AJS Wathanan (Vaclav Janacek), 2. Elwan (Marc Lerner), 3. Hatem (Theo Bachelot), 4. Monfarid (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: Hd, 1 1/2, 1/2. Owner: Al Jeryan Stud. Trainer: Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Race 3: 1. Kamila (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 2. Haddaj Dukhan (Marc Lerner), 3. Fazan (Theo Bachelot), 4. Saab (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: 3/4, Shd, 1/4. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 4: 1. Al Shaman (Theo Bachelot), 2. Yaarmen (Harry Bentley), 3. Could Be (Eduardo Pedroza), 4. Burning Sword (Darren Williams). Won by: 2 1/2, 2 3/4, 3/4. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 5: 1. Oryx (Theo Bachelot), 2. Hillside Dream (Almotasem al-Balushi), 3. Hope Cove (Harry Bentley), 4. Greyscape (Saleem Golam). Won by: Shd, 1 3/4, 3/4. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 6: 1. Mango Tango (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Zman Awal (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Bronze Maquette (Gerald Avranche), 4. Tea Leaf (Pier Convertino). Won by: 3/4, 2 1/2, 1 1/2. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 7: 1. Molheb Al Naif (Gerald Avranche), 2. AJS Al Rayyan (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Hagwa (Theo Bachelot), 4. Al Marboush (Harry Bentley). Won by: 2 3/4, No, 3 1/2. Owner: Al Naif Racing. Trainer: Yousef Bentaher.
Race 8: 1. Ba’sil (Theo Bachelot), 2. Almuheet (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Caid de l’Ardus (Harry Bentley), 4. Zameer (Marc Lerner). Won by: No, Hd, 3/4. Owner: Al Shahania Stud. Trainer: Julian Smart.