Smart duo Reda, Shabih Alreeh win Derby Trials for Arabians

Al Uraiq Secret and Opera Baron win among the Thoroughbreds; jockey Stephan Ladjadj rides two winners

Spaghetti had been unbeaten coming into the Derby Trials meeting at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club yesterday. A spirited run from HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani-owned Reda changed that record as the Julian Smart-trained colt won for the first time since shedding his maiden status earlier this year.
Ridden by Marco Monteriso, Reda mounted an attack from the back of the pack, with the race turning into a three-way battle between Umm Qarn’s Rasheed on the inside, Reda on the outside and HH The Emir’s Silver Sword winner Spaghetti in between closer to the post.
Reda just had a bit more than the other two and picked up a memorable win.
The win was Julian Smart’s second on the day for HH Sheikh Mohamed.
Shabih Alreeh repaid the faith trainer Julian Smart had put in the colt for his Derby prospects, with a win in the Qatar Derby Trial for three-year-old Purebred Arabians yesterday.
A week ago, talking to Gulf Times, Smart had said: “I am very much looking forward to the three-year-old Derby. I have Shabih Alreeh and Ebraz. So yeah, it’s going to be a good meeting with the international horses as well.”
Yesterday, a month after making a winning debut in Qatar, Shabih Alreeh combined well with Alberto Sanna to edge out Umm Qarn duo of Farooq, ridden by Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim, and Yazeed, helmed by Gaetan Faucon, for the victory.
Opera Baron, the leading three-year-old Thoroughbred last year in Qatar, moved up well from winning the Group 3 Guineas last month with a victory in the Qatar Derby Trial (Gr 2) for three-year-old Thoroughbreds (Class 1).
Ridden by Champion Jockey Harry Bentley in the colours of Leading Owner Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari, and saddled by Champion Trainer Jassim Ghazali, Opera Baron edged out Ibrahim al-Malki-schooled Open ’N Shut by half a length, while Robinnielly was third on his Qatar debut.
A month after winning the Guineas, Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani-owned Al Uraiq Secret made yet another mile-long run his own, with al-Malki-schooled colt winning the Qatar Derby Trial for three-year-old Local Thoroughbreds.
The win, with Eduardo Pedroza at the helm, was fourth straight for the colt, who beat Abu Samrah, ridden by Bentley, for the top spot.
The top two were in a league of their own with the third-placed Asaaf finishing a massive six lengths behind.
Palmetto Dunes showed immense pace under Stephan Ladjadj’s ride as Deborah Mountain’s charge made an impressive run on the outside and pulled away in a flash to win the Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated between 76 and 90.
Having stayed away from the front, with the pack being led by Alsefra and Parkes and Ride, Ladjadj got his partner to step outside and away coming on to the home stretch. Even as Perigee moved ahead of the rest of the field under Harry Bentley, Palmetto Dunes seemed unstoppable and finished two lengths ahead.
Ladjadj’s second win of the day was with Dhafi al-Marri’s colt Tasslam. The Local Purebred Arabians event for three-year-olds saw Ladjadj guiding Tasslam to a narrow win over Ghazali’s Al Malhoufa, even as another Ghazali ward Al Malhouf completed the podium.
Black Granite’s tremendous three-race winning run had come to an end in November 2015 on his Qatar debut when the Injaaz Stud-owned gelding finished eighth.
Yesterday, he was back among the wins with Pier Convertino riding the Mubarak al-Khayarin-schooled four-year-old to victory in the Thoroughbred Classified Stakes for horses rated 95 and below.
The Class 2 event, which was run over 1100m, saw Black Granite finish two lengths ahead of The Smart One, while Receding Waves completed the top three.
In the first race of the day, Al Shahania Stud-owned Aziznefs shed his maiden status in the Fegentri (Gentlemen Riders) Local Purebred Arabian Maiden Cup, the final race in the 2016 edition of the championship.
While Eric Poretz won the race, a fifth-place finish for Spanish rider Ignacio Melgarejo Loring, riding Aws, was enough to seal the title after second-placed Vinzenz Schiergen finished sixth on Sadiq, not earning enough points to snatch the title.

RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Aziznefs (Eric Poretz), 2. Semwo (Elliot Ohgren), 3. Jefool Al Jazeera (Guilain Bertrand), 4. Khawalid Al Naif (Antonio Ferramosca). Won by: 2 1/2, Shd, 5. Time: 1:48.19. Owner: Al Shahania Stud. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 2: 1. Black Granite (Pier Convertino), 2. The Smart One (Gerald Avranche), 3. Receding Waves (Harry Bentley), 4. Harry’s Dancer (Xavier Ziani). Won by: 2 1/2, 1/2. Time: 1:03.77. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Mubarak al-Khayarin.
Race 3: 1. Palmetto Dunes (Stephan Ladjadj), 2. Perigee (Harry Bentley), 3. Hi Holy (Marvin Suerland), 3. Go For Broke (Gerald Avranche). Won by: 2, Dh, Nk. Time: 1:22.64. Owner: Abdulaah Hassan Ali Abdulmalik. Trainer: Deborah Mountain.
Race 4: 1. Tasslam (Stephan Ladjadj), 2. Al Malhoufa (Pier Convertino), 3. Al Malhouf (Harry Bentley), 4. Barra (Gaetan Faucon). Won by: 1/2, 1 1/4, 1/2. Time: 1:32.86. Owner: Dhafi al-Ardi al-Marri. Trainer: Dhafi al-Marri.
Race 5: 1. Al Uraiq Secret (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Abu Samrah (Harry Bentley), 3. Asaaf (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Shidad (Gaetan Faucon). Won by: 1/2, 6, Shd. Time: 1:37.71. Owner: Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 6: 1. Opera Baron (Harry Bentley), 2. Open ‘N Shut (Saleem Golam), 3. Robinnielly (JP Guillambert), 4. Barwod (Marco Monteriso). Won by: 1/2, 1 1/4, Hd. Time: 1:51.63. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 7: 1. Shabih Alreeh (Alberto Sanna), 2. Farooq (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Yazeed (Gaetan Faucon), 4. Brama de Pompadour (Harry Bentley). Won by: Nk, 1 1/2, 5. Time: 1:30.31. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 8: 1. Reda (Marco Monteriso), 2. Spaghetti (Harry Bentley), 3. Rasheed (Gaetan Faucon), 4. Carab (JP Guillambert). Won by: Nk, Nk, 1 1/2. Time: 2:07.26. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.