Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Noor Al Hawa retained His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy (QA Group 2) with a fantastic run on the straight under Alberto Sanna, who also guided Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Moaddie to Jaafer Cup at Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
Georges Mikhalides’ ward, Noor Al Hawa, started wide in a packed race, stayed midfield for the bulk of the 2,000m run, and then upped his pace coming on to the business end. The 2016 Qatar Derby winner took the lead inside the last 200m and then held off a late challenge by Soufiane Saadi-ridden Pazeer to win by a length-and-a-half. In the process, the seven-year-old chestnut completed a hat-trick of wins for the season.
In the penultimate race of the day, Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani-schooled AJS Moaddie edged out Umm Qarn’s Sealine by a neck to win the Jaafer Cup, going one better than his last outing in the event a year ago. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Khatafaynee finished a close third.
Mohamed bin Fahad al-Attiyah’s Goldamer shed his maiden status with a victory in his first handicap outing, with the Alban de Mieulle ward landing the Asraa Min Albarq Purebred Arabian Handicap in scintillating fashion. Soufiane Saadi helmed the son of Amer in the mile-long race, and the duo went past the post five lengths ahead of the competition.
This was Saadi’s first of two wins yesterday as the rider returned to the winner’s circle in the colours of Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi, guiding Bader al-Balushi-trained Black Pearl to the gelding’s outstanding seventh career win. The four-year-old has an impressive record in local Thoroughbred races as the black gelding won the seven-furlong Gazwan Local Thoroughbred Conditions with two lengths to spare.
De Mieulle too completed a double later yesterday when Ali Khalid al-Mosallam, in the colours of Patrice Nicolet, rode Barra to the horse’s first win in almost two years. The win Harran Local Purebred Arabian Conditions was the seven-year-old’s first over seven-furlongs, and in the process also led a one-two for Frenchman De Mieulle with Ronan Thomas guiding Abahat to a second place, a little more than five lengths behind the winner.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani had two winners yesterday with young debutant Dawi making a winning start to his career and Ghali Al Athman landing his second victory of the season.
Julian Smart’s wards won in fine fashion with similar margins, a little more than a length, as Dawi landed the Mared Al Sahra Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate under Francois Herholdt and Ghali Al Athman was ridden to victory by Tomas Lukasek in the Djendel Local Purebred Arabian Novice Plate.
Another Arabian to shed his maiden status yesterday was Injaaz Stud’s Fahd De Faust, saddled by Jassim Mohamed Ghazali, who won the Aziz ASF Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate under Marco Casamento.
The card opened with the ninth win of the season for Qatari apprentice jockey Rashid Ali al-Marri, who guided Saeed Mohamed al-Shafi’s Al Mikdam to a handicap win. The mile-long race, Ebraz Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 80 and below, saw Al Mikdam and Alberto Sanna-ridden Al Haitham in a duel at the post. Al Mikdam edged out his rival by a head for a thrilling win.
Ali Yousuf al-Kubaisi-trained Festive, ridden by Ronan Thomas in the colours of Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari, went one better than her last start start earlier this month to bag the Assy Thoroughbreds race for fillies and mares comfortably. The mare lined up for the 1,850m race for the third straight year, having finished third and fourth last two times, and won by almost four lengths at the post.


RESULTS

Race 1: EBRAZ THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (CLASS 4) (80 & below) (Distance: 1,600m)
1. Al Mikdam (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 2. Al Haitham (Alberto Sanna), 3. Izzer (Marco Casamento), 4. More Than A Dream (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: Hd, 1, ¼. Time: 1:35.60. Owner: Saeed Mohamed al-Shafi. Trainer: Saeed Mohamed al-Shafi.
Race 2: ASRAA MIN ALBARQ PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP (70-90) (Distance: 1,600m)
1. Goldamer (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Winne Taouy (Ronan Thomas), 3. Al Junood (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 4. Haddaj Dukhan (Rashid Ali al-Marri). Won by: 5, Hd, Hd. Time: 1:43.46. Owner: Mohamed bin Fahad al-Attiyah. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 3: ASSY THOROUGHBREDS (FILLIES & MARES) (Class 4) (Distance: 1,850m)
1. Festive (Ronan Thomas), 2. Cruella Dovil (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 3. Make A Wish (Marco Casamento), 4. Mahaarat (Alexander Reznikov). Won by: 3 ¾, ¾, 1 ¼. Time: 1:56.05. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Ali Yousuf al-Kubaisi.
Race 4: AZIZ ASF PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Far Bend) (Distance: 1,400m)
1. Fahd De Faust (Marco Casamento), 2. Rammah (Alberto Sanna), 3. Al Arabie (Ronan Thomas), 4. Forgehill Chiraz (JP Guillambert). Won by: 1 ¾, 4 ¼, ¾. Time: 1:33.89. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 5: MARED AL SAHRA PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Far Bend) (Distance: 2,000m)
1. Dawi (Francois Herholdt), 2. Bin Al Tair (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Al Malhouf (Michael Forest), 4. Tayeel (Saleh Salem al-Marri). Won by: 1 ¼, ¾, 1. Time: 2:17.02. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 6: DJENDEL LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN NOVICE PLATE (Far Bend) (Distance: 1,400m)
1. Ghali Al Athman (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Muthhil (Marco Casamento), 3. Wardan Al Hashm (Alberto Sanna), 4. AJS Ezz (JP Guillambert). Won by: 1 ¼, 3, 1 ¾. Time: 1:33.18. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 7: GAZWAN LOCAL THOROUGHBRED CONDITIONS (Far Bend) (Distance: 1,400m)
1. Black Pearl (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Shaman Bu Thaila (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Al Faisaliya (Ronan Thomas), 4. Abha (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: 2, 2, 4 ¼. Time: 1:24.79. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Bader al-Balushi.
Race 8: HARRAN LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN CONDITIONS (Far Bend) (Distance: 1,400m)
1. Barra (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 2. Abahat (Ronan Thomas), 3. Hazm Al Sulaimi (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 4. AJS Al Moheeb (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: 5 ¼, Nk, 3 ¼. Time: 1:32.77. Owner: Patrice Nicolet. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 9: JAAFER CUP (Far Bend) (Local PA) (Distance: 2,000m)
1. AJS Moaddie (Alberto Sanna), 2. Sealine (Ronan Thomas), 3. Khatafaynee (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Aaley Al Magam (Marco Casamento). Won by: Nk, 1, 4. Time: 2:13.92. Owner: Al Jeryan Stud. Trainer: Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Race 10: HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN KHALIFA AL THANI TROPHY (QA GR2) (Far Bend) (TB 3-year-old & older) (Distance: 2,000m)
1. Noor Al Hawa (Alberto Sanna), 2. Pazeer (Soufiane Saadi), 3. The Blue Eye (Jason Watson), 4. Top Max (Ronan Thomas). Won by: 1 ½, 1 ¼, 1. Time: 2:01.61. Owner: Al Wasmiyah Farm. Trainer: Georges Mikhalides.