Avranche rides Al Tair to Al Ruwais Cup victory

By Chris Hoover/Doha

Member of Board of Directors of QREC Mr Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah (second from right) and Racing Secretary Tariq  Abdulhameed al-Sidiqie are seen with the winners of the Al Ruwais Cup at the QREC yesterday

Alban de Mieulle trained Al Tair (Gerald Avranche astride) gave ample display of his undoubted talent and the progress he had made since he began his campaign this season when he came up with another gallant display to win the Al Ruwais Cup, the main event of the races held at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club yesterday. This was the fifth victory for the Al Tair who has been unbeaten so far.
Though carrying the top weight, Al Tair came through with a hands and heels effort from Avranche, while Al Shahania Stud’s Maseh and Divamer finished second and third respectively.
"Al Tair is a brilliant colt and he has proved it once again. Jockey Avranche rode a good race and never used the whip though coming under pressure,” trainer Mieulle told the Gulf Times.
Earlier,  Mieulle trained Fernad shed his maiden status with a narrow win over Al Bouraq in the local Pure Arabian Maiden Plate. Inside the final furlong, it looked like a three horse race with George Mikhalides saddled Al Bouraq and Al Monahidh coming into strong contention but Fernas under the able riding of Frenchman David Bouland, shook off his rivals with a resolute effort. The four-year-old colt out of Dahess seems to be a good type of horse and should be a force to reckon with in his next outing.

Trainer Alban de Mieulle (right) leads in Al Tair (Gerald Avranche up) after a victorious outing in the Al Ruwais Cup at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club yesterday. Pictures: Juhaim

Mieulle and Bouland completed a back-to-back double when the Nizam progeny, Dharr showed a clean pair of heels while recording a comfortable victory in the Pure Arabian Maiden Plate. The well bred Dharr, running without blinkers, lay in mid bunch until its rider unleashed him in the final furlong. Once shown the daylight, Dharr galloped away from the pack to win by over a length.
Trainer Mieulle feels Dharr is capable of improving further. "He has fine pedigree and looks promising. I do have hopes on Dharr progressing further.”
Zohair Moghsen schooled Al Bidah finally broke the jinx when she easily accounted for the opposition in the 1,200 metres Local Thoroughbred Stakes. The five-year old bay mare which had finished second to Qadir in her last run, was ridden confidentally by Qatari rider Jassim al-Kaabi in this victorious outing. After racing in a handy second position, Al Bidah skipped away from the rest at the top of the straight. Nawaf Al Naif (Khadija Abdulwaheed astride) closed with a rush but found the winner too good on the day.
Jassim al-Ghazali nurtured Muzaej recorded a thrilling victory, staving off the challenge of a late-finishing Al Murassas local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate. Jockey Stephen Ladjadj took Apache on a start-to-finish mission and the duo were calling the shots until the last 50 metres. Sensing the danger, Gerald Avranche alerted Muzaej to the task on hand. The Ghazali trainee devoured ground in a trice and engaged the front runner in a battle royal as Al Murassas (Darren Williams up) also joined the issue. However it was Muzaej who got stronger at the finish to win by a shorthead.
Ghazali had another winner for the day when Hunting Tartan recorded is maiden victory with a fluent win in the Thoroughbred Stakes. Jockey YANIS Auoabed rode a perfect race on the winner. Captain Coke finished a close second ahead of Stoney Harbour.
Miss Faustina (Adrie de Vries astride), the four-year-old bay filly from Ibrahim al-Malki’s yard who had failed in her three previous starts, finally broke the jinx with a scintillating victory in the Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 70 and above.
Ridge Wood Dani (Bouland up) was being hailed as a winner when he was still in charge of the running but Miss Faustina was purposefully powered by de Vries  and the filly swooped down on the front runner in the final furlong and stretched away to record a much awaited victory.
RESULTS
1st race: Al Bidah (Jassim al-Kaabi) 1, Nawaf Al Naif 2, Qoot Al Qaloob 3, Saif Al Dawla 4. Won by: 3 ½, 8, Distance. Time: 1:14.24. Trained by: Zohair Moghsen. Owned by: Ahmed Salim al-Suwaidi
2nd race: Fernas (David Bouland) 1, Al Bouraq 2, Al Monahidh 3, Ibhar 4. Won by: Hd, 1 ½, 1 ¾. Time: 1:07.88. Trained by: Alban de Mieulle. Owned by: Umm Qarn Farms
3rd race: Dharr (David Bouland) 1, Cobalto 2, Magik D’Or 3, Shael De Faust 4. Won by: 1 ¼, ¾, Nk. Time: 1:06.62. Trained by: Alban de Mieulle. Owned by: Umm Qarn Farms
4th race: Muzaej (Gerald Avranche) 1, Al Murassas 2, Apache 3, Smiling Assasin 4/ Won by: Shd, ½, 5. Time: 1:27.42. Trained by: Jassim al-Ghazali. Owned by: Al Ghazali Stud
5th race: Miss Faustina (Alan Munro) 1, Ridge Wood Dani 2,  Footloose Man 3, Mdawee 4. Won by: 1 ¾, Hd, Nk. Time: 00:59.18. Trained by: Ibrahim al-Malki. Owned by: Hassan Ali Abdulmalik
6th race: Hunting Tartan (Yanis AAuoabed) 1, Captain Coke 2, Stoney Harbour 3, Lost Cause 4. Won by: ¾, 1 ½, 1. Time: 1:23.00. Trained by: Jassim al-Ghazali. Owned by: Abdullatif Ali al-Misnad
7th race: Al Tair (Gerald Avranche) 1, Maseh 2, Divamer 3, Harran 4. Won by: ½, Shd, 4. Time: 2:04.20. Trained by: Alban de Mieulle. Owned by: Umm Qarn Farms