Aaley Al Magam claims feature; Golam wins three

Julian Smart-trained Aaley Al Magam went one better than his last run to win for the first time in 16 months. The HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani-owned colt topped the Al Zubara Cup at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s dirt track yesterday.Alberto Sanna guided the five-year-old to a comfortable one-and-a-half length victory ahead of Jassim Ghazali’s Al Marboush as Amer colts locked the top two spots in the 1900m feature, a local Purebred Arabian conditions event. The win was Sanna’s second on the day, which was only bettered by Saleem Golam, who picked up three wins from among seven races.Golam’s third win was in the penultimate race of the day, when he rode Ahmed Kobeissi-saddled Qaa’ed to victory in the Purebred Arabian Handicap event for horses rated 80 & below.Golam had Qaa’ed stay at the back of the pack early on, steadily moving forward even as Injaaz Stud’s Ali Baba led the way under Kelly Harrison.Reaching the business end of the 1900m run, Golam had his mount pick up the pace and move up on the outside and pull away for a fine victory. Ali Baba’s run weakened and, Hassan al-Matwi-trained Falot Del Falot, with Xavier Ziani astride, and Haddaj Dukhan, trained by Mansoor al-Shahwani and ridden by Alberto Sanna, took advantage, eventually finishing second and third respectively.Jassim Ghazali’s second winner of the day was Hussain Ali Bukanan’s Emaad. The six-year-old had a forgettable last outing, finishing 12th in a 14-strong field two weeks ago. Yesterday, however, Emaad comfortably won the Class 3 Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 81-95 under a strong ride by JP Guillambert.Guillambert guided the bay horse to a two-and-a-half length victory over Ibrahim al-Malki’s First To Post, while Alban de Mieulle-trained Umm Qarn colt Djaouad also made it to the frame under Jean Baptiste Hamel.Al-Malki tasted his only success of the day with Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani-owned Izghawa winning the Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap event ahead of stablemate Bader.Golam helmed the five-year-old filly, Izghawa, to her second straight victory, going past the post two lengths ahead of Bader, ridden by Alberto Sanna. Salem al-Hajri’s ward, Al Hazam, who shed his maiden status last week, registered his third straight top-three finish.After finishing in the top-three thrice this season, Sultan al-Jaber-trained Mutazz finally notched his first victory since March last year, winning the Purebred Arabian Conditions event yesterday.The six-furlong sprint saw Golam guide the grey son of Amer to a close half-a-length victory, edging out Injaaz Stud’s Istibdad, with Richard Mullen astride, for the top spot. Marco Monteriso helmed Mohamed Salama Ashour’s Zameer to a third-place finish.A little more than a month after he shed his maiden status over six furlongs, Majed Seifeddine’s charge Cannon adjusted well to a 1700m run, winning the Local Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 75 & below.After staying on the heels of the leading trio – Ali al-Marri-trained Queen Maouya, Hilal Kobeissi’s Musaiter Bu Thaila and Mohamed Khalid al-Hamed’s Shahd Al Asal – Alberto Sanna had Cannon move up on the outside and with a furlong to go, grabbed the advantage and with that a victory.Earlier in the day, Ghazali-saddled Al Mustafiz had shed his maiden status under a ride by Tadgh O’Shea in the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate event. The Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari-owned colt beat Mubarak al-Khayarin-schooled Udai Al Wajba by three lengths to register his first career win on his third outing in Qatar.RESULTSRace 1: 1. Al Mustafiz (Tadgh O’Shea), 2. Udai Al Wajba (JP Guillambert), 3. Saikhad Al Naif (Adnan Hawa), 4. Samhan Al Shajaa (Gerald Avranche). Won by: 3, 13, ¾. Owner: Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.Race 2: 1. Cannon (Alberto Sanna), 2. Queen Maouya (Rashid al-Marri), 3. Shahd Al Asal (Marvin Suerland), 4. Saab Al Manal (Richard Mullen). Won by: 3, 2, 1. Owner: Mubarak bin Saeed Aljafai al-Naimi. Trainer: Majed Seifeddine.Race 3: 1. Mutazz (Saleem Golam), 2. Istibdad (Richard Mullen), 3. Zameer (Marco Monteriso), 4. AJS Qahir (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 1/2, 2 1/2, 1 1/4. Owner: Jaber Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber. Trainer: Sultan al-Jaber.Race 4: 1. Emaad (JP Guillambert), 2. First to Post (Saleem Golam), 3. Djaouad (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 4. Generalship (Tadgh O’Shea). Won by: 2 1/2, 3/4, 1 1/2. Owner: Hussain Ali Bukanan. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.Race 5: 1. Izghawa (Saleem Golam), 2. Bader (Alberto Sanna), 3. Al Hazam (Xavier Ziani), 4. Tijan (Abdulla Faisal). Won by: 2, Nk, 5. Owner: Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.Race 6: 1. Qaa’ed (Saleem Golam), 2. Falot Del Falot (Xavier Ziani), 3. Haddaj Dukhan (Alberto Sanna), 4. Al Yem (Richard Mullen). Won by: 3 1/2, 1 1/4, Nk. Owner: Mohamed Kazim al-Ansari & Sons. Trainer: Ahmed Kobeissi.Race 7: 1. Aaley Al Magam (Alberto Sanna), 2. Al Marboush (JP Guillambert), 3. Mowhoubat Al Zaidy (Saleem Golam), 4. She’ris (Richard Mullen). Won by: 1 1/2, 2 1/2, Nk. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.