Jockey Richard Mullen rides Injaaz Stud’s Istibdad, trained by Jassim Ghazali, to victory in the Fuweirat Cup yesterday.
The conditions race for Purebred Arabians, which was run on the dirt at the Al Rayyan racetrack, saw Jassim Ghazali’s charge pick up his third career victory, two of which have come over 1200m including yesterday and one over 1100m.
The five-year-old son of AF Albahar had Richard Mullen at the helm for the first time, as the British jockey guided his ride to a seven-length victory over second-placed Mutazz, winner of last month’s Rodat Al Maida Cup over the same six-furlongs, under Tadgh O’Shea. Zakhir Stud’s Zameer, ridden by Stephan Ladjadj, finished third.
The win was Ghazali’s third and Mullen’s second on the day.
Earlier, Ghazali-trained gelding Al Khattaf won his second straight Purebred Arabian Graduation Plate event within a span of two weeks.
The six-year-old, with jockey JP Guillambert at the helm, comfortably beat Al Jeryan Stud’s in-form colt AJS Buraq, who has already won two outings this month, while another Ghazali charge Bahia Du Barthas was third under Mullen.
Jockey Yanis Aouabed was at the helm of Makinson Lane once again as Hamad Ahmed al-Jehani-trained gelding raced to a comfortable victory in the nine-furlong Thoroughbred Handicap event, a Class 5 race for horses rated 50-70.
Aouabed had raced the six-year-old to a similar handicap victory last month.
Yesterday, Osama al-Dhafea’s charge One More Roman and Dardawan, trained by Ibrahim al-Malki and ridden by Stephan Ladjadj, rounded up the top three.
Trainer Hadi al-Ramzani swept the frame in the Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap event with Al Zekreet Racing’s Nu Form Fire racing to his first win this season.
Nu Form Fire, after a string of disappointing results in Handicap events, finally came into his own, as the five-year-old gelding, ridden by Darren Williams, edged out Cueca, with Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim at the helm, and Half Turn, guided by Ali al-Showeikh, for the victory.
In the Maiden Plate events that started the day, Evert Pheiffer rode Asaaf to his first career victory for trainer Zuhair Mohsen in the Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate. Owned by Ali Khalfan Mohamed Ali Sheban al-Suwaidi, Asaaf only took two starts to shed his maiden status, winning three and a half lengths ahead of Seb Sanders’ ride Al Adaam.
Another three-year-old colt, al-Jehani’s charge colt Broadway Icon, shed his maiden status on the day, winning the Class 6 Thoroughbred Maiden Plate event under jockey Yanis Aouabed. Broadway Icon just about managed to edge out Rose Zafonic, ridden by Qatari jockey Yousef al-Hajri.
Mullen guided Al Fouz, trained by Ghazali, to his first career victory in the Local Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate event. The four-year-old colt owned by Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari shed his maiden status on his fifth outing, finishing ahead of Injaaz Stud’s Muthmerah.
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Asaaf (Evert Pheiffer), 2. Al Adaam (Seb Sanders), 3. Al Ashqar (Tadgh O’Shea), 4. Hamza (Stephan Ladjadj). Won by: 3 1/2, 10, 3. Time: 1:58.14. Owner: Ali Khalfan Mohamed Ali Sheban al-Suwaidi. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen.
Race 2: 1. Broadway Icon (Yanis Aouabed), 2. Rose Zafonic (Yousef al-Hajri), 3. Atori (Marvin Suerland), 4. Habob (Evert Pheiffer). Won by: Nk, 6, 1/2. Time: 1:55.22. Owner: Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: Hamad Ahmed al-Jehani.
Race 3: 1. Al Fouz (Richard Mullen), 2. Muthmerah (Alberto Sanna), 3. AJS Al Zubara (Pier Convertino), 4. Al Doctor (Marvin Suerland). Won by: 1 1/2, Hd, Shd. Time: 1:20.39. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 4: 1. Nu Form Fire (Darren Williams), 2. Cueca (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Half Turn (Ali al-Showeikh), 4. Izghawa (Evert Pheiffer). Won by: Nk, Shd, 1. Time: 1:11.43. Owner: Al Zekreet Racing. Trainer: Hadi al-Ramzani.
Race 5: 1. Al Khattaf (JP Guillambert), 2. AJS Buraq (Marco Monteriso), 3. Bahia Du Barthas (Richard Mullen), 4. Abeah (Yanis Aouabed). Won by: 3, 2, Shd. Time: 1:18.01. Owner: Abdullah Mohamed al-Kuwari Sons. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 6: 1. Makinson Lane (Yanis Aouabed), 2. One More Roman (Marvin Suerland), 3. Dardawan (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Poyle Judy (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: 3, 1/2, 2 1/2. Time: 1:54.07. Owner: Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: Hamad Ahmed al-Jehani.
Race 7: 1. Istibdad (Richard Mullen), 2. Mutazz (Tadgh O’Shea), 3. Zameer (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Samjida (JP Guillambert). Won by: 7, 3 1/2, 3 1/2. Time: 1:15.68. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.