The race for older Purebred Arabians saw Lerner and his four-year-old partner track early leaders Mutazz and Kasser before upping the pace around the same time as Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani-trained MJ Lattam, who had a marginal advantage, coming off the final bend.
However, a furlong out, Raqee went past Faleh Bughanaim-ridden MJ Lattam and then surged forward for a dominant four-length victory.
The win was Raqee’s fourth this season, while the other three have been runner-up efforts.
“I was quite disappointed last time because we lost out narrowly and it should have been a win,” Lerner told Gulf Times, referring to the second-place finish in the Silver Sword Trial two weeks ago.
“I was sad after the race because the horse had given everything. This time it was very different, it was the first time he was running on dirt. He has been running 1400m, 1600m and I believe he is a pure 1400m horse, but today he travelled very good. I had to help him a little bit, but once he got going, there was nothing stopping him. In hindsight, I should have perhaps waited a bit more before letting him go but he won it easy.”
Zakhir Stud’s Al Eshrah built on her second place finish earlier this month, with a win in the Purebred Arabian Handicap (Div 1) for horses rated 75 and below under Lerner’s ride.
But it was a smashing victory of Umm Qarn’s Bint Amir in the Division 2 run of the event that lit up the grandstand. Qatari jockey Rashid Ali al-Marri, riding for trainer Alban de Mieulle, helmed the grey daughter of Amer to a massive nine-length victory in the six-furlong sprint.
The five-year-old filly had a disappoint Qatar debut last time round in January, but made up for it well under al-Marri, who posted his second victory of the season.
The victory was first of two for Frenchman De Mieulle on the day. Mutawassal topped the penultimate race of the day, a Local Thoroughbred Conditions event, comfortably under Jean Baptiste Hamel, beating Mohamed Khaled Elahmed’s Khoud and Ahmed Kobeissi’s Footprintinthesand for the win. Champion Trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali and Champion Jockey Harry Bentley combined well for two victories on the day.
Six-furlong Local Purebred Arabian Handicap event saw Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Al Malhoufa register her second victory this season. The result meant that Mansoor Mesfer al-Hajri’s Haddaj Dukhan was a runner-up for the sixth time out of eight this season, this time under Qatari jockey Rashid Ali al-Marri, who had earlier guided a winner on the day.
Ghazali’s ward Sacred Way and Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani’s charge Roman Navigator put together a thrilling finish in the six-furlong Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap (Div 1) event for horses rated 70 and below.
Bentley had Sacred Way in the contention on the rails in the final 50m, when at the line a timely lunge helped them beat Theo Bachelot-ridden Roman Navigator by a short head.
A scorching run on the final straight in front of the grandstand saw Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani’s Rich History win Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap event in thrilling fashion.
JP Guillambert had the four-year-old at the back of the pack for the bulk of the 1700m race before the Dubawi colt got going and closed the gap on the leaders. At the line, the colt beat Deborah Mountain-trained Alizoom, under Pier Convertino, by only a neck.
Earlier in the day, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Al Ghawja shed his maiden status with a win under Bachelot in the 1700m Local Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate.
Trainer Ibrahim al-Malki and jockey Eduardo Pedroza combined well for two victories on the day. In the second race of the day, Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani’s Surra Man Raa, with a massive weight advantage on his side, shed his maiden status in the 1700m Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate, while Rumailah Stud’s Shobrom made it two victories in a row this season, topping the Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap (Div 2) event for horses rated 70 and below.
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Al Ghawja (Theo Bachelot), 2. Ishfaq (Marc Lerner), 3. Maraam (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Snafi Al Shajaa (Abdulla Hozam al-Marri). Won by: ½, 1 ¾, 2. Time: 2:02.57. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 2: 1. Surra Man Raa (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Rawdat Al Khail (Harry Bentley), 3. Gazwa (Marc Lerner), 4. Al Huwailah (JP Guillambert). Won by: 1 ½, 1 ½, 1 ¼. Time: 1:55.13. Owner: Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 3: 1. Sacred Way (Harry Bentley), 2. Roman Navigator (Theo Bachelot), 3. Daira Bridge (JP Guillambert), 4. River Goddess (Marc Lerner). Won by: Shd, ¾, Shd. Time: 1:13.43. Owner: Shaheen bin Khalid Shaheen al-Ghanim. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 4: 1. Shobrom (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Cristofano Allori (Stephan Ladjadj), 3. Acclaimed Dancer (Theo Bachelot), 4. Tautira (Saleem Golam). Won by: ¼, 4, 3 ¼. Time: 1:12.47. Owner: Rumailah Stud. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 5: 1. Al Eshrah (Marc Lerner), 2. Rahibah (Harry Bentley), 3. Muzn (Theo Bachelot), 4 Raqyah (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 2, 4 ½, 3. Time: 1:19.41. Owner: Zakhir Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Salama Ashour.
Race 6: 1. Bint Amir (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 2. Shmoos (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Ameenah (Eduardo Pedroza), 4. Lolita Du Panjshir (Abdulla Hozam al-Marri). Won by: 8 ¾, 3, 1. Time: 1:19.33. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 7: 1. Rich History (JP Guillambert), 2. Alizoom (Pier Convertino), 3. Zainat (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. King Of Doha (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: Nk, ¾, Shd. Time: 1:49.67. Owner: Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani.
Race 8: 1. Al Malhoufa (Harry Bentley), 2. Haddaj Dukhan (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 3. Dheeb Al Shajaa (Marc Lerner), 4. Barq Al Shajaa (Abdulla Hozam al-Marri). Won by: ¾, 3, 1 ½. Time: 1:19.72. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 9: 1. Mutawassal (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 2. Khoud (Pier Convertino), 3. Footprintinthesand (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Muraqabah (Harry Bentley). Won by: 1 ¾, 1 ¾, 2 ¼. Time: 1:12.62. Owner: Patrice Nicolet. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 10: 1. Raqee (Marc Lerner), 2. MJ Lattam (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Zameer (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Samhan Al Shajaa (Jean Baptiste Hamel). Won by: 4, ¾, 4 ½. Time: 1:17.97. Owner: Hassan al-Matwi. Trainer: Hassan al-Matwi.
