Waajidd produced a polished late-running performance to land the Wadi Al Sail Cup at the Al Uqda Racecourse Thursday.
The four-year-old bay gelding, owned by Khalid bin Ghanem al-Kuwari and trained by Zuhair Mohsen, bounced back to form to get off the mark with authority, drawing clear by 1½ lengths under Szczepan Mazur to win the Thoroughbred Premium Maidens contest for 3-7-year-olds over 1200m.
Settling midfield after the break, Waajidd was ridden with patience as Fine Art Dealer pressed forward to assume control and dictate the pace through the early and middle stages. He was closely tracked by Mockirr, Saniyaat’s Star and Beach Breeze, with the leading quartet opening up a clear gap on the remainder of the field as they approached the final bend.
Turning for home, Mockirr moved up assertively to take the lead from Fine Art Dealer and the pair appeared set to fight out the finish. However, the decisive move was still to come. From the middle of the pack, Waajidd was unleashed with a sustained and telling run, producing a sharp turn of foot to sweep past the leaders and assert quickly. Inside the final 100m, Waajidd extended his advantage with each stride, pulling clear to secure a decisive victory. Manos Arriba, racing for Al Eida Racing and trained by Jassim al-Ghazali, finished strongly from the rear under Marco Casamento to take second, edging Mockirr by a neck. The Al Jasra Stud runner, trained by Abdulla al-Mulla, stayed on under Ivan Rossi to claim third.
Alnood asserts authority to complete stable double
Earlier in the day, Alnood continued her solid run of form with a decisive success in the fifth race, a Purebred Arabian Handicap for fillies and mares rated 65–85, for four-year-olds and up over 2000m, Class 4, contested by five runners. The five-year-old bay mare, racing in the colours of Injaaz Stud and trained by Julian Smart, recorded her second win of the season from four starts, to go with a runner-up finish in between, scoring by 1¾ lengths. She was partnered by Pierre Charles Boudot, who, like her trainer, completed a double on the day.
The penultimate Local Purebred Arabian Handicap produced a dramatic blanket finish, with Al Mutaghatris, also trained by Smart and ridden by Boudot, prevailing by a narrow margin. Waajidd’s authoritative success then provided a fitting highlight to an absorbing 43rd Al Uqda Race Meeting.
RESULTS
43rd Al Uqda Race Meeting - Wadi Al Sail Cup
WINNERS: (Horse, Trainer, Jockey)
1 - Wadi Al Sail Cup, Thoroughbred Premium Maidens
Waajidd, Zuhair Mohsen, Szczepan Mazur
2 - Thoroughbred Handicap (0-60)
Perfect Approach, Mohammed al-Ghazali, Lukas Delozier
3 - Purebred Arabian Handicap (45-65)
La Quyood, Julian Smart, Pierre Charles Boudot
4 - Local Thoroughbred Handicap (0-55)
Mallhog, Fahad bin Mubarak bin Jassim al-Groon, Salman Fahad al-Hajri
5 - Thoroughbred Handicap (55-75)
Future Man, Mohd Ahmed Mohd Hasan al-Sulaiti, Fayos Martin Borja
6 - Purebred Arabian Handicap, Fillies and Mare
Alnood, Julian Smart, Pierre Charles Boudot
7 - Local Purebred Arabian Handicap (65-85)
Al Mutaghatris, Julian Smart, Pierre Charles Boudot
