Rassan run smashes field for Doha Cup win

Champion trainer and jockey, Jassim Ghazali and Harry Bentley, got together to guide Rassan to an imperious win in the Doha Cup, a local Purebred Arabians race for horses rated 85 and above, at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club here yesterday.
Rassan smashed the opposition with a massive 11-length victory in the eight and a half furlong dirt event to end a run of three second-place finishes on turf.
Bentley kept the Amer progeny right behind Tajarub, ridden by Alberto Sanna, for bulk of the distance before stepping out with two furlongs to go. Rassan’s magnificent turn of foot ensured that the six-year-old pulled away in no time to gallop the final furlong on his own.
The win was Ghazali’s second on the day, with Al Shahania Stud’s Rasi, also ridden by Bentley, winning another 1700m Purebred Arabians event. Rasi had Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Al Rayyan to deal with for the top spot but managed to stay ahead narrowly for his second win this season at QREC.
HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Radwah, trained by Julian Smart, rounded up the top three.
Younger Ghazali, Mohamed, also had three winners on the day, with Alberto Sanna riding the winners — Lina Al Mels and Marj Eyoun — in the first and last race of the day respectively, while Kalahari Kingdom won the Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap event.
Maryam bint Sheail al-Kuwari-owned Lina Al Mels shed her maiden status winning ahead of Umm Qarn’s Damas and Abdullah Mohamed al-Kuwari Sons’ Fawwaz in the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate event.
Footstepsinthesand’s bay son Kalahari Kingdom won the second run of the six furlong Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 70-80, beating half-brother Millington in a close finish, while Mohannad al-Yaqout’s Tijan finished third.
In the final race of the day, a six-furlong Handicap event for Purebred Arabians, Sanna raced Injaaz Stud’s Marj Eyoun to an impressive three and a half-length victory over Osama Omar al-Dhafea’s Shmoos. Al Jeryan Stud’s Farashat Yasmina was third.
In the first run of the Thoroughbred Handicap event, Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani-owned First To Post stayed true to his name winning on his debut in Qatar under Evert Pheiffer.
The Ibrahim al-Malki-trained two-year-old gelding finished four lengths ahead of New Hope, who had won a similar event a month ago, while Autumn Sunrise was third.
Yanis Aouabed guided Rashid Khamis Saif al-Kuwari’s colt Akram to his first career victory in a 11-horse Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate event.
Al-Malki-trained Sky Metro and Yousef Bentahar’s charge Bunoa Sera Al Naif finished second and third respectively.
Al-Malki’s second winner of the day was Aqdaar who raced to his second Handicap victory in a month, while Mohamed Ghazali’s Jazz and Zuhair Mohsen-trained New Pearl were second and third.
Mohsen’s Pearl Bridge, however, made amends for the trainer in the second run of the 1200m Thoroughbred Conditions event winning just three weeks after his Wathnan Cup victory. Glossy Posse was second, finishing half a length ahead of Umm Qarn’s Mudhish.
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Lina Al Mels (Alberto Sanna), 2. Damas (Gaetan Faucon), 3. Fawwaz (Adrie de Vries), 4. Taous De Monlau (Yanis Aouabed). Won by: 3, 9, 1. Time: 2:05.03. Owner: Maryam bint Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 2: 1. Rasi (Harry Bentley), 2. AJS Al Rayyan (Gerald Avranche), 3. Radwah (Marco Monteriso), 4. Falot Del Falot (Adrie de Vries). Won by: Hd, 4, 3.5. Time: 1:57.53. Owner: Al Shahania Stud. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 3: 1. Akram (Yanis Aouabed), 2. Sky Metro (Evert Pheiffer), 3. Bunoa Sera Al Naif (Marvin Suerland), 4. Qhudoua (Harry Bentley). Won by: 3/4, 1 1/4, 2. Time: 1:13.73. Owner: Rashid Khamis Saif al-Kuwari. Trainer: MR al-Kuwari.
Race 4: 1. First To Post (Evert Pheiffer), 2. New Hope (Gerald Avranche), 3. Autumn Sunrise (Ali al-Showeikh), 4. Ediye (Pier Convertino). Won by: 4, Nk, Nk. Time: 1:10.57. Owner: Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 5: 1. Kalahari Kingdom (JP Guillambert), 2. Millington (Gerald Avranche), 3. Tijan (Adrie de Vries), 4. Ventura Shadow (Stephan Ladjadj). Won by: Hd, 2 1/2, Hd. Time: 1:10.44. Owner: Sheikha Rowdha bint Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 6: 1. Aqdaar (Cedric Segeon), 2. Jazz (Alberto Sanna), 3. New Pearl (Adrie de Vries), 4. Go For Broke (Yanis Aouabed). Won by: 3/4, 2 1/2, 3/4. Time: 1:09.93. Owner: Ibrahim Saeed al-Malki. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 7: 1. Pearl Bridge (Marvin Suerland), 2. Glossy Posse (Pier Convertino), 3. Mudhish (Gaetan Faucon), 4. Beach Samba (Cedric Segeon). Won by: 1, 1/2, 2. Time: 1:59.30. Owner: Al Murqab Stud. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen.
Race 8: 1. Rassan (Harry Bentley), 2. Maazouz (Pier Convertino), 3. Tajarub (Alberto Sanna), 4. Tuyoorna (Gerald Avranche). Won by: 11, 3 1/2, 2. Time: 1:57.25. Owner: Jassim bin Ali al-Attiyah. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 9: 1. Marj Eyoun (Alberto Sanna), 2. Shmoos (Cedric Segeon), 3. Farashat Yasmina (Gerald Avranche), 4. Jazeerat Al Arab (Harry Bentley). Won by: 3 1/2, 1, 2 1/2. Time: 1:18.45. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.