Balzac blazes to Al Rayyan Breeders Cup triumph

Owner Wathnan Racing, trainer Alban de Mieulle and jockey Soufiane Saadi completed a double on the second day of the HH The Amir Sword Festival.On Friday at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (QREC) Al Rayyan Park, the French duo won the $400,000 Al Rayyan Breeders Cup 2000m feature for Local Thoroughbreds as Balzac beat Equinoxe, guided by Mickael Barzalona in the same silks, by a quarter of a length to complete a one-two for Wathnan Racing and De Mieulle. Al Jeryan Stud-owned and MHK al-Attiyah–trained Al Buraq came third.In the penultimate race of the day, Al Jeryan Stud’s homebred AJS Sarhan retains Al Zubara Trophy for the second straight year. Trained by Gassim Ghazali, the seven-year-old relished the return to the longer distance of 2000m and won the $200,000 race impressively by two and a half lengths under jockey Maxime Guyon.It was also a double on the day for trainer Rudy Andre Nerbonne and jockey Lukas Delozier as the HE Sheikha Iman bint Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani-owned Hargan took a listed victory in the Purebred Arabian Sprint Cup, flying home in the final furlong to win by three quarters of a length.Nerbonne and Delozier were earlier in the winner’s enclosure as the HE Sheikha Yasmeen bint Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani-owned Nazwa emerged victorious in the Purebred Arabian Filly and Mare Seada Cup for four-year+ by a length. It was the Nerbonne-trained five-year-old mare’s second win in a row and again with Lukas Delozier in the saddle. The five-year-old mare, won the Class 4 Purebred Arabian Graduation Plate for four-year-olds at at Al Uqda Racecourse on January 11.Wathnan Racing’s Toufik remains unbeaten by winning the Gulf Cup for Purebred Arabians Bred in the GCC on Friday. The Alban de Mieulle-trained four-year-old colt easily defied the experience factor of his rivals to win by two and a half lengths under jockey Soufiane Saadi. The four year gray colt earlier won the Nocice Cup (Class 5) on January 20 and local purebred Arabaian Maiden Plate (class 6) on December 28 last year.Injaaz Stud’s Kerindia proved that she had the strongest credentials in the Thoroughbred Filly and Mare Oryx Cup. In the hands of jockey Jim Crowley, the Zuhair Mohsen-saddled four-year-old filly produced an emphatic front running performance and was in a league of her own as she took the race by staggering seven and a half lengths. To start the day two of the festival, Al Thumama Racing-owned and Mohamed Hussain Afroz-trained X Force overcame being drawn the widest of the 16-runner field and transferred his excellent dirt form to the grass to win the 1200m Thoroughbred Open Sprint Cup for four-year-old+ by half a length under jockey Szczepan Mazur.All eyes on Al Ghadeerfor Amir SwordThe third and final day of HH The Amir Sword Festival will see the best Purebred Arabian in the world – Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Ghadeer galloping for HH The Amir Sword in the prestigious race.Al Ghadeer looks almost unbeatable but will be challenged among others by Wathnan Racing’s Abbes who won the HH The Amir Sword in impressive style last year and comes into the race having won the biggest race in Abu Dhabi – the Al Nahyan Jewel Crown.Wathnan Racing’s Simca Mille will be the big local hope for Qatar in the HH The Amir Trophy race.Today, there will be eight races for international thoroughbreds and Purebred Arabians, including top international race horses ridden by famous jockeys in each race. There are five races for thoroughbreds over all the most important racing distances: sprint (1200m), one mile (1600m), 2000m, and the classic distance of 2400m for the biggest race of all, the HH The Amir Trophy.RESULTSHH the Amir Sword Festival 2024 - Day 226th Al Rayyan Meeting- SandChampionships WINNERS:1. Al Rayyan Breeders Cup - Local Thoroughbred (Class 1) Total prize money: $400,000Horse: BalzacOwner: Wathnan RacingTrainer: Alban Elie De MieulleJockey: Soufiane Saadi2. Al Zubara Trophy - Local Purebred Arabian (Class 1) Total prize money: $200,000Horse: AJS SarhanOwner: Al Jeryan StudTrainer: Gassim GhazaliJockey: Maxime Guyon3. Purebred Arabian Sprint Cup (Class 1 Listed) International race; Total prize money: $200,000Horse: HarganOwner: HE Sheikha Iman bint Mohammed bin Khalifa al-ThaniTrainer: Rudy Andre NerbonneJockey: Lukas Delozier4. Gulf Cup - For Purebred Arabians Bred in GCC (Class 1) International race; Total prize money: $100,000Horse: ToufikOwner: Wathnan RacingTrainer: Alban Elie De MieulleJockey: Soufiane Saadi5. Thoroughbred Filly and Mare Oryx Cup; Total prize money: $100,000Horse: KerindiaOwner: Injaaz StudTrainer: Zuhair MohsenJockey: Jim Crowley6. Purebred Arabian Filly and Mare Seada Cup; Total prize money: $100,000Horse: NazwaOwner: H.E. Sheikha Yasmeen Bint Mohammed Bin Khalifa al-ThaniTrainer: Rudy Andre NerbonneJockey: Lukas Delozier7. Local Purebred Arabian Filly and Mare Al Na’ama Cup (Class 2); Total prize money: $100,000Horse: OsailaOwner: Al Shaqab RacingTrainer: Jean De MieulleJockey: Christophe Soumillon.8. Local Thoroughbred Filly and Mare Desert Rose Cup (Class 2); Total prize money: $100,000Horse: MaysaraOwner: Mohamed Abdulhadi S Al-HajriTrainer: Hamad al-JehaniJockey: Tom Marquand9. Purebred Arabian 4YO Cup (Class 2); Total prize money: $100,000Horse: Al ZwairOwner: Al Shaqab RacingTrainer: Jean De MieulleJockey: Christophe Soumillon10. Thoroughbred Open Sprint Cup (4yo and up) (Class 2); Total prize money: $100,000Horse: X ForceOwner: Al Thumama RacingTrainer: Mohamed Hussain AfrozJockey: Szczepan Mazur