Al Jasra Stud’s Notalot held on well in the final furlong to win Marmi Cup ahead of Pleaseletmewin on the dirt track at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club yesterday.
The feature saw Gerald Avranche ride Notalot into the lead coming off Gate 8, before Jassim Ghazali’s Ras Al Qimmah upped the pace.
However, coming off the final bend, Ras Al Qimmah weakened and Notalot went up front yet again. Ras Al Qimmah’s stablemate Pleaseletmewin, ridden by Harry Bentley, gave the Tariq Issa trained gelding a chase but finished a length behind in second spot.
Ibrahim al-Malki’s What A Surprise finished three lengths behind in third under Alberto Sanna’s ride.
The win was Notalot’s first in Qatar.
Champion Trainer Ghazali had only one winner on the day with trusted jockey Bentley riding Hope Cove to victory on the gelding’s debut in Qatar.
Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari-owned Hope Cove, who moved to Qatar from the UK, won the penultimate race of the day — Class 3 Thoroughbred Handicap event for four-year-old horses 76-90 — comfortably finishing ahead of Saleem Golam’s mount Shaka Zulu, trained by al-Malki.
Deborah Mountain’s Alizoom rounded up the top three under Faleh Bughanaim’s ride.
Mohamed Hussain’s Al Aayar registered his third win this season when Sanna guided the six-year-old to a short head victory in the Purebred Arabian Handicap event for horses rated 90 and below.
The grey son of AF Albahar edged out half-brother Kasser, ridden by Bentley for trainer Mohamed al-Sheeb, at the post, even as the rest of the competition were left far behind in the 1200m run.
Rabiah al-Kaabi’s ward Sand Legend finished six lengths behind in third spot.
Injaaz Stud’s Ventura Shadow led a one-two for trainer Mohamed Jassim Ghazali in the Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 61-75.
Bentley rode the filly to her first victory in Qatar. Ventura Shadow edged out stablemate Town Crier, ridden by Pier Convertino, for the victory, while Khalid al-Nuaimi-schooled Shaqran, helmed by Avranche, completed the podium.
The owner-trainer-jockey trio of Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, al-Malki and Eduardo Pedroza registered two wins on the day with Mowhoubat Al Zaidy and Al Uraiq Secret winning the Purebred Arabian Plate and Local Thoroughbreds events respectively.
In the third race of the day, Mowhoubat Al Zaidy edged out Mohamed Jassim Ghazali-schooled Al Marboush in a thriller. The win was the eight-year-old mare’s third this season, while Harry Bentley guided Injaaz Stud-owned Al Marboush to his second straight top three finish.
Alberto Sanna helmed Julian Smart-trained She’ris to the third spot.
Al Uraiq Secret was in a league of his own when, under Pedroza, the colt sprinted away with a commanding seven-length victory in the six-furlong sprint for four-year-olds.
Wasim Mohammed’s Al Thakhira and Shahd Al Asal, trained by M Khalid al-Hamed, finished second and third respectively.
Younger Ghazali had a winner in the first race of the day when Abdulla al-Marri rode Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari-owned Al Fouz to a narrow victory in the Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 61-75.
All the 11 horses in the 1200m run on dirt were ridden by Qatari jockeys, given the fact that there was a bonus for the winning owner, trainer and jockey, in case a Qatari rode the winner.
Ali Khalid al-Mosallam and Yousef al-Hajri rode Comedy Night and Yes We Can Dream to second and third place respectively.
Umm Qarn’s Al Rabiah shed her maiden status on her second outing with Gaetan Faucon riding the Alban de Mieulle-trained filly to a victory in the Local Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate event.
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Al Fouz (Abdulla al-Marri), 2. Comedy Night (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 3. Yes We Can Dream (Yousef al-Hajri), 4. Tijan (Rashid al-Marri). Won by: Nk, 3, 1 3/4. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 2: 1. Al Rabiah (Gaetan Faucon), 2. Marjan (JP Guillambert), 3. Udai Al Wajba (Harry Bentley), 4. Twitter (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 1 1/2, 2 1/2, 5. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 3: 1. Mowhoubat Al Zaidy (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Al Marboush (Harry Bentley), 3. She’ris (Alberto Sanna), 4. Majdan (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: Nk, 1, 6. Owner: Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 4: 1. Al Uraiq Secret (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Al Thakhira (Alberto Sanna), 3. Shahd Al Asal (Darren Williams), 4. Reem Brooq (Xavier Ziani). Won by: 7, 1 1/4, 6. Owner: Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 5: 1. Ventura Shadow (Harry Bentley), 2. Town Crier (Pier Convertino), 3. Shaqran (Gerald Avranche), 4. Second Life (Alberto Sanna). Won by: Shd, 2, Nk. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 6: 1. Al Aayar (Alberto Sanna), 2. Kasser (Harry Bentley), 3. Sand Legend (Gerald Avranche), 4. Shmoos (Xavier Ziani). Won by: Shd, 6, Hd. Owner: Dhafi al-Ardi al-Marri. Trainer: Mohamed Hussain.
Race 7: 1. Hope Cove (Harry Bentley), 2. Shaka Zulu (Saleem Golam), 3. Alizoom (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Adham (Eduardo Pedroza). Won by: 2 1/2, Nk, 1/2. Owner: Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 8: 1. Notalot (Gerald Avranche), 2. Pleaseletmewin (Harry Bentley), 3. What A Surprise (Alberto Sanna), 4. Perfect Storm (Eduardo Pedroza). Won by: 1, 3, 1/2. Owner: Al Jasra Stud. Trainer: Tariq Issa.
