Deborah Mountain-saddled Prepare For Battle made a winning debut in Qatar in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Guineas, even as Ibrahim al-Malki registered three winners including the Local Thoroughbred and Purebred Arabian Guineas at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
Having shed his maiden status in Ireland in September, yesterday, under a fantastic ride by Saleem Golam, Prepare For Battle held a slender lead on the back straight coming off Gate 4 in the miler. However, going on to the home straight, the Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik-owned colt pulled away and built a healthy lead one and a half furlong out.
The lead was too much for the rivals to make up, even as Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Adaid and Alhazm, both saddled by Alban de Mieulle, picked up pace to push the leader but had to settle for second and third under Ronan Thomas and Faleh Bughanaim respectively.
Eduardo Pedroza helmed all three winners for al-Malki, with Abercrombie topping the mile-long Purebred Arabian Guineas and Nahaab winning the Local Thoroughbred Guineas. In the second race of the day, Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi’s Could Be won the Class 4 Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 85 and below for al-Malki.
In the penultimate race of the day, al-Emadi’s Abercrombie went one better than his last outing four weeks ago, edging out Osama Omer al-Dafea’s Evolution Du Croate, with Carlo Fiocchi in the saddle, by a head at the post after the two were locked in duel for the last furlong or so.
Nahaab led a one-two for the trainer with Jimmy Quinn riding Surra Man Raa to a close second, a quarter of a length behind the winner.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Ebraz, His Highness The Amir’s Sword winner last year, was back to winning ways in impressive fashion after Julian Smart’s ward won the Purebred Arabian Handicap for horses rated 90 and above.
Ebraz had to settle for places on his European swing, finishing third in the Qatar Arabian World Cup at Longchamp in October, but got a nice little prep win at the start of the home season.
Ladjadj rode the five-year-old to a fine victory over Jassim Mohamed Ghazali-trained Carab, with a little more than two lengths to spare at the post.
De Mieulle had a winner in the Purebred Arabian Plate event for three-year-olds with Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim notching his eighth victory of the season astride Al Shaqab Racing’s Dalaab in the 1850m race.
Muraikh Cup-winning trainer on Wednesday, Mohamed Riyaz, saddled the winner in the nine-race card-opener, a Local Thoroughbred Handicap yesterday. JP Guillambert rode four-year-old filly to a comfortable victory in the miler.
Stefano Ibido-schooled Courageux and Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani-trained Holy Shambles won Thoroughbred Plate events under Fiocchi and Thomas respectively.

RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Al Khazileah (JP Guillambert), 2. Zuzi (Saleem Golam), 3. Al Watan (Gerald Avranche), 4. Mister Lal (Eduardo Pedroza). Won by: 2, 3 ½, ¼. Time: 1:40.19. Owner: Meshaal bin Ali al-Attiyah. Trainer: Mohamed Riyaz.
Race 2: 1. Could Be (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Hajaj (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Woodkid (Pier Convertino), 4. Noble Masterpiece (Harry Bentley). Won by: ¾, Shd, 1 ¾. Time: 1:37.47. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 3: 1. Holy Shambles (Ronan Thomas), 2. Strategist (Harry Bentley), 3. Random Decision (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Beckton (Marco Casamento). Won by: Nk, 1 ¾, Hd. Time: 1:12.79. Owner: Mubarak bin Saeed Aljafai al-Naimi. Trainer: Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Race 4: 1. Courageux (Carlo Fiocchi), 2. Mixi Charm (Ronan Thomas), 3. Izzer (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. High Horse (Marco Casamento). Won by: 2 ¼, ½, ½. Time: 1:13.15. Owner: Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri. Trainer: Stefano Ibido.
Race 5: 1. Daloob (Faleh Bughanaim), 2. Tabouk (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 3. AJS Moaddie (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Gtnah (Ronan Thomas). Won by: Hd, ½, 2 ¾. Time: 2:07.36. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 6: 1. Ebraz (Stephan Ladjadj), 2. Carab (Marco Casamento), 3. AJS Anfowan (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Lucky Sand (Ray Fuentes). Won by: 2 ¼, 1, No. Time: 1:45.92. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 7: 1. Nahaab (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Surra Man Raa (Jimmy Quinn), 3. Latamah (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Qate’e (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: ¼, 2 ¼, 3 ¾. Time: 1:40.20. Owner: Mohamed Abdulla Abdulmalik. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 8: 1. Abercrombie (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Evolution Du Croate (Carlo Fiocchi), 3. Meelad (Mathieu Pelletan), 4. AJS Dhabi (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: Hd, 1 ¾, 3 ¼. Time: 1:47.01. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 9: 1. Prepare For Battle (Saleem Golam), 2. Al Adaid (Ronan Thomas), 3. Alhazm (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Che Bella (Jean Baptiste Hamel). Won by: 1 ½, 2, ¾. Time: 1:38.19. Owner: Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik. Trainer: Deborah Mountain.