Assy makes a winning return to Doha turf

When Assy raced to a victory in HH The Emir’s Sword in 2014, the Julian Smart-trained horse had stitched together an eight-race winning run.The Blue Eye owner Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari receives a trophy after his colt The Blue Eye won the Thoroughbred Trophy Trial yesterday.It’s been two years since then but HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s horse has neither lost any of those capabilities nor class.In the 10 furlong Purebred Arabian Sword Trial at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club yesterday, Amer’s son faced little challenge as champion Harry Bentley rode him to a six length victory over Umm Qarn’s Nashmi, while Zakhir Stud’s Jenjal rounded up the top three.Harry Bentley rides HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Assy to a victory in the Purebred Arabian Sword Trial yesterday.Qatar Derby champion Ain Jalout showed no signs of slowing down as the Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s colt raced to his third victory this season. Jassim Ghazali’s charge has never finished outside the top two in Doha, with, yesterday, Bentley riding the four-year-old Bay colt to a win in the Purebred Arabian Trial for colts and geldings four-year-olds and more.Amer progeny Rassan finished two lengths behind in second place, ahead of half-brother Seif Ennar.Both Ghazali and Bentley had three winners in the seven-race card yesterday.Qatar Derby Trial winner The Blue Eye continued his exciting momentum winning the Thoroughbred Trophy Trial. With Bentley in the saddle, Ghazali’s colt beat Injaaz Stud’s Ningara by a couple of lengths while Hassan Ali Abdulmalik’s Ponfeigh finished third.Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari’s Itorio and Mohamed bin Hamad Khalifa al-Attiyah’s Double Look produced a thriller in the Thoroughbred Trial event as the two colts topped out in a dead heat.Double Look (foreground), ridden by Adrie de Vries, and Itorio (background), with Stephan Ladjadj in the saddle, were locked in a dead heat in the Thoroughbred Trial event yesterday.The two finished ahead of Go Dan Go and Jumaira Tower.Ghazali-schooled Itorio did well to bounce back from two disappointing results including a last-place (16th) finish in the Class 1 Qatar Derby and 10th place in Wadi Al Sail Cup. Double Look, meanwhile, finished on top for the second straight outing.Sons of 2000 Guineas Stakes winner Footstepsinthesand swept the Local Thoroughbred Trial event when Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani’s Moaddie beat Mohamed Kazim al-Ansari & Sons’ Footprintinthesand by a little under two lengths.Moaddie continued his impressive run of places finishes with jockey Yanis Aouabed at the helm. The five-year-old has won thrice besides a second place and a third place finish each in six outings this season.Sraab, also trained by Ahmed Kobeissi like Footprintinthesand, was third. Qatar Derby winner Batter was fifth.Chilworth Icon continued his love affair with short turf sprints when he raced to a victory in the 16-strong Thoroughbred Sprint Trial.Deborah Mountain’s charge has three victories, including yesterday’s, and three second-place finishes so far, and all have been on turf.Even as Darren Williams rode the Hassan Ali Abdulmalik’s five-year-old gelding to victory, half a length behind him Al Wajba Cup winner Sandbetweenourtoes and Ibrahim al-Malki’s Victory Laurel got locked in a dead heat for the second spot.Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari’s chestnut gelding Astley Hall, who made his Doha debut with a second place in Al Rayyan Stakes in December, raced to victory in the Thoroughbred 3 Year Olds Trial event.JP Guillambert had Mohamed Jassim Ghazali’s charge finish one and a half length ahead of Binzart, while Shaka Zulu was third.RESULTSRace 1: 1. Chilworth Icon (Darren Williams), 2. Sandbetweenourtoes (Harry Bentley), 2. Victory Laurel (Adrie de Vries), 4. Collect Art (Stephan Ladjadj). Won by: 0.5, Dh, 1.5. Time: 1:10.58. Owner: Hassan Ali Abdulmalik. Trainer: Deborah Mountain.Race 2: 1. Astley Hall (JP Guillambert), 2. Binzart (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 3. Shaka Zulu (Almotasem al-Balushi), 4. French Encore (Darren Williams). Won by: 1.5, Shd, 1. Time: 1:23.34. Owner: Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.Race 3: 1. Moaddie (Yanis Aouabed), 2. Footprintinthesand (Darren Williams), 3. Sraab (Seb Sanders), 4. Al Mansoor (Harry Bentley). Won by: 1.75, 5, 0.5. Time: 1:55.47. Owner: Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: H al-Jehani.Race 4: 1. Itorio (Stephan Ladjadj), 1. Double Look (Adrie de Vries), 3. Go Dan Go (Harry Bentley), 4. Jumaira Tower (Almotasem al-Balushi). Won by: Dh, - , 0.5, 0.5. Owner: Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.Race 5: 1. Ain Jalout (Harry Bentley), 2. Rassan (JP Guillambert), 3. Seif Ennar (Gaetan Faucon), 4. Saab (Adnan Hawa). Won by: 2, 0.5, 2.5. Time: 2:04.37. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.   Race 6: 1. Assy (Harry Bentley), 2. Nashmi (Gaetan Faucon), 3. Jenjal (Seb Sanders), 4. Vetlana De Faust (JP Guillambert). Won by: 6, 2, 3.5. Time: 2:13.50. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.Race 7: 1. The Blue Eye (Harry Bentley), 2. Ningara (Alberto Sanna), 3. Ponfeigh (Darren Williams), 4. Fort Moville (Marvin Suerland). Won by: 2.5, 1.5, 0.75. Time: 2:17.10. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.