Jockey Stephan Ladjadj rides Injaaz Stud’s Istibdad to victory in the Purebred Arabians Sprinter Championship (Gr3PA) yesterday.
The two grey horses began alongside each other from gates 7 and 8, and hit traffic early on in the five and a half furlong race, even as Pier Convertino moved his ride Mutazz into the lead.
Going into the bend, Stephan Ladjadj kept moving Istibdad forward and Adrie de Vries, riding Masnoon, followed suit. With two furlongs to go, Ladjadj had the four-year-old AF Albahar colt move on the outside and ahead past Mutazz, with Masnoon, winner of another sprint from three weeks ago, in pursuit.
Istibdad held on well to give Ghazali his only win on the day, while Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Fath Elkheir rounded up the top three.
Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani-owned Fadak’s recent good form, which saw her finish in top three for four straight handicap races, finally bore fruit as Ibrahim al-Malki’s charge won the Class 3 Thoroughbred Handicap event under Evert Pheiffer.
The three-year-old Henrythenavigator filly had shed her maiden status in November 2015, and yesterday she beat Casual Glimpse and Substantiate in the longest race of the day at 11 furlongs.
Courtofversailles and Sefaat picked up wins in the two runs of the Class 3 Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 75-90 respectively.
Khalid Rashid al-Qashash al-Mohanadi-owned Courtofversailles, who had made a winning debut in Chantilly in July 2014, made a winning debut in Qatar too.
The Giant’s Causeway colt, ridden by JP Guillambert, edged out Mohamed bin Hamad Khalifa al-Attiyah’s Ard San Aer, who had last raced in the Al Biddah Mile during the HH The Emir’s Sword Festival weekend, in the seven furlong race for his second career win. Deborah Mountain-trained Sunley Pride finished four lengths behind in the third spot.
Sefaat, ridden by Andrew Elliot in the colours of Mohamed Abdulla AN al-Attiyah, raced to her first victory since October 2014, when she had won a conditions race over the same distance. Jazz, under Harry Bentley in the colours of Sheikha Rowdha bint Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani, finished second for the second straight race, while Injaaz Stud’s Sir Guy Porteous was third.
Nasser Ahmed Mohamed al-Kuwari’s bay gelding Black Treacle raced to his first victory in Qatar in the mile-long Thoroughbred Plate event for horses rated 60 and below.
Black Treacle, schooled by O. al-Dhafa, had last won a race in September 2013 in Scotland. The four-year-old beat Dhafi al-Marri’s filly Chess Valley by half a length while Abdullah Mohamed al-Kuwari Sons’ Awattan rounded up the top three.
After finishing in top three for the first three races of his career, Al Murqab Stud’s gelding Cameraman was guided to his first win by jockey Adrie de Vries in the Class 6 Thoroughbred Maiden Plate event.
Zuhair Mohsen’s charge finished the mile-long event half a length ahead of Ghazali-trained Sterling Work, ridden by Harry Bentley, to shed his maiden status. Croara, running for Stefano Ibido was third.
Two Umm Qarn Arabians shed their maiden status in the second and third races of the eight-race card.
Ablah II went one better from her last outing from three months ago to win the Local Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate.
The four-year-old chestnut filly, trained by Alban de Mieulle, beat Ghazali-schooled Al Fouz and Injaaz Stud’s Ali Baba for her first win.
French-bred Zaeem, who made his debut in the Qatar Derby Trial in December with a fourth-place finish, beat half brother from the prolific sire Amer, AJS Al Rayyan, to shed his maiden status in the Purebred Arabian Graduation Plate event. AJS Al Rayyan finished second ahead of another Al Jeryan Stud colt Almuheet.
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Cameraman (Adrie de Vries), 2. Sterling Work (Harry Bentley), 3. Croara (Marco Monteriso), 4. Al Maftoon (JP Guillambert). Won by: 1/2, 1 1/2, Nk. Time: 1:37.86. Owner: Al Murqab Stud. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen.
Race 2: 1. Ablah II (Gaetan Faucon), 2. Al Fouz (JP Guillambert), 3. Ali Baba (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Rahibah (Pier Convertino). Won by: 1, Hd, 1 3/4. Time: 1:18.38. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 3: 1. Zaeem (Adrie de Vries), 2. AJS Al Rayyan (Darren Williams), 3. Almuheet (Marco Monteriso), 4. Al Marboush (Stephan Ladjadj). Won by: 1/2, 3, 3/4. Time: 2:06.12. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 4: 1. Black Treacle (Pier Convertino), 2. Chess Valley (Marco Monteriso), 3. Awattan (Harry Bentley), 4. Shamaliyah (Yousef al-Hajri). Won by: 1/2, Nk, 1 1/4. Time: 1:36.43. Owner: Nasser Ahmed Mohamed al-Kuwari. Trainer: O al-Dhafa.
Race 5: 1. Courtofversailles (JP Guillambert), 2. Ard San Aer (Adrie de Vries), 3. Sunley Pride (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Millington (Pier Convertino). Won by: Nk, 4, 3/4. Time: 1:22.06. Owner: Khalid Rashid al-Qashash al-Mohanadi. Trainer: R al-Jehani.
Race 6: 1. Sefaat (Andrew Elliot), 2. Jazz (Harry Bentley), 3. Sir Guy Porteous (Alberto Sanna), 4. Go For Broke (Darren Williams). Won by: 1/2, 1/2, 1. Time: 1:22.63. Owner: Mohamed Abdulla AN al-Attiyah. Trainer: H Aashoor.
Race 7: 1. Fadak (Evert Pheiffer), 2. Casual Glimpse (Adrie de Vries), 3. Substantiate (Harry Bentley), 4. Charlie’s Wish (Marco Monteriso). Won by: 1 1/4, Nk, Nk. Time: 2:17.74. Owner: Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 8: 1. Istibdad (Stephan Ladjadj), 2. Masnoon (Adrie de Vries), 3. AJS Fath Elkheir (Yousef al-Hajri), 4. Zameer (Darren Williams). Won by: 1, Nk, 3/4. Time: 1:10.95. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.