Maysara claims Marmi Cup
Mohammed Abdulhadi al-Hajri-owned Maysara returned to winning ways as she clinched the Marmi Cup at the Al Uqda Racecourse Saturday.Settled at the rear for much of the contest, the six-year-old chestnut mare produced an electrifying turn of foot in the home straight to sweep past the leaders and score impressively by two lengths, providing trainer Hamad al-Jehani with a double on the card, with Pierre Charles Boudot in the saddle. The mare’s victory in the Local Thoroughbred Open Race for four-year-old and up over 1200m (Class 2), contested by six runners, came after consecutive runner-up finishes to register her third success from five starts this season.Al Nasr Al Washeek pressed forward to set the pace in the early stages, tracked closely by Mutamarrid, with Maysara racing just behind them. As the race developed, Maysara was eased back toward the rear while Barq Al Atam moved up into third, allowing the leader to establish a modest advantage through the middle stages.Approaching the home turn, the tempo began to lift and Maysara was brought back into contention, improving smoothly to enter the straight in third. Once asked to quicken, she produced a decisive and electrifying turn of foot. Inside the final 300m, she swept past the leaders with ease, opening up rapidly and putting the outcome beyond doubt. Al Nasr Al Washeek, representing Injaaz Stud and trained by Jihad El Ahmad, stayed on under Ivan Rossi to take second, holding off his stablemate Mutamarrid, who carried the same colours, ridden by Lukas Delozier, by just a neck. Mutamarrid completed the frame in third, as Maysara’s powerful late burst proved the defining moment of the feature contest.Traine al-Jehani was in the winners enclouser earlier in the day when Washington Street continued his upward trajectory with a convincing victory in the sixth race, a Thoroughbred Handicap (70–90) for four-year-olds and up over 1200m (Class 3). The four-year-old chestnut gelding, owned by Al Ghaf Stud added a second win to a season that has already produced two placed efforts from four starts, drawing clear by 2½ lengths with Pierre Charles Boudot in the saddle.Neebrook, Ibrahim Saeed Al Malki and partnered by Tomas Lukasek, opened the card with a polished success in the first race, a Thoroughbred Maiden Plate for three-year-olds over 1400m (Class 6) contested by nine lightly raced runners. The chestnut gelding, having just his second career start and his first appearance in Qatar, built on a debut fifth at Navan, Ireland, to get off the mark by a length for owner Abdulrahman Mohammed al-Attiyah.RESULTS44th Al Uqda Race Meeting - Marmi CupWINNERS: (Horse, Trainer, Jockey)1 - Marmi Cup, Local Thoroughbred Open RaceMaysara, Hamad al-Jehani, Pierre Charles Boudot2 - Thoroughbred Maiden PlateNeebrook, Ibrahim Saeed al Malki, Tomas Lukasek3 - Local Purebred Arabian Maiden PlateAnika, Alban de Mieulle, Megane Peslier4 - Local Thoroughbred Handicap (0-45)Mabsam, Jihad El Ahmad, Salman Fahad al-Hajri5 - Purebred Arabian Novice PlateWaseelh, Julian Smart, Marco Casamento6 - Thoroughbred Handicap (65-85)Loaded Gun, Jassim al-Ghazali, Marco Casamento7 - Thoroughbred Handicap (70-90)Washington Street, Hamad al-Jehani, Pierre Charles Boudot8 - Purebred Arabian Handicap (80-100)Samsa Al Shahania, Rudy Nerbonne, Lukas Delozier