Ray Fuentes helmed Ahmed Kobeissi-saddled Sraab to the mare’s second straight victory this season in the Halul Island Cup for local Thoroughbreds at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (QREC) Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
In the 2400m run on turf, Sraab, the oldest runner in the race at nine years, edged out Theo Bachelot-ridden Sarmad Bu Thaila by half-a-length at the post for a thrilling win, while Faleh Bughanaim was astride third-placed Al Lusail.
In the final race of the nine-race card, Jimmy Quinn and his partner Adham won the Thoroughbred Claiming Race to hand trainer Ibrahim al-Malki his second victory of the day.
Harry Bentley-ridden Perigee split two Ibrahim al-Malki wards at the top of the results in the Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 75 and 95 as Eduardo Pedroza guided Lulwa bint Faisal al-Haidos-owned Perfect Storm to the colt’s second victory this season.
As Pedroza’s mount edged out Perigee by three quarters of a length at the post, Jimmy Quinn had What A Surprise in a close third for al-Malki.
Talented Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim won for the tenth time this season when he led a one-two for Alban de Mieulle astride Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Walid in the Purebred Arabian Conditions event. The victory, which was his second on the day, saw Bughanaim helm the Dahess colt to a close victory over Umm Qarn’s Sehab, who had Ronan Thomas in the saddle.
Bughanaim’s second winner of the day was Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Al Maha, who registered her maiden victory in a close finish ahead of Umm Qarn’s Semaisima in the Local Purebred Arabian Handicap event for horses rated 85 and below.
Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani’s ward had shown intent early on this season finishing in top four in each of her four runs coming into yesterday’s seven-furlong run.
Singapore-based French jockey Ryan Curatolo made a fantastic first impression on his first day at the Al Rayyan Park, helming the first two winners of the day.
In the card-opener, Curatolo was in the saddle for Julian Smart-trained Falcone Du Croate, who bounced back from a 12th place finish on his debut last month, for a maiden victory in the mile-long Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate event.
The 26-year-old then guided Mohamed Khaled Elahmed-schooled Khat Al Nar, as the gelding completed a hat-trick of wins this season, to a victory in the Local Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 85 and below.
Smart had a second winner on the day with Theo Bachelot riding His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Off He Goes to a breezy four lengths and a quarter victory in the Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 80 and below.
Mubarak bin Saeed al-Jafai al-Naimi-owned Qatar Dance was the second winner on the day for trainer al-Ramzani and jockey Bachelot. The mare beat Mohamed Riyaz-trained Tea Leaf with a length to spare at the post in the 2000m Thoroughbreds event for fillies and mares.

RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Falcone Du Croate (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Jahfal (Eduardo Pedroza), 3. Fanann (Ivan Rossi), 4. Arbed (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 4, 2 1/2, 3/4. Time: 1:47.46. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 2: 1. Khat Al Nar (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Adaam Bu Thaila (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 3. Saar (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Admiral (Jimmy Quinn). Won by: 1 1/2, 1/4, 3/4. Time: 1:13.32. Owner: Subaiya Awad Ibrahim. Trainer: Mohamed Khaled Elahmed.
Race 3: 1. AJS Al Maha (Faleh Bughanaim), 2. Semaisima (Ronan Thomas), 3. Al Mustafiz (Harry Bentley), 4. Al Eshrah (Ryan Curatolo). Won by: 3/4, Hd, 3/4. Time: 1:32.30. Owner: Al Jeryan Stud. Trainer: Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Race 4: 1. Off He Goes (Theo Bachelot), 2. More Than A Dream (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 3. Warsaan (JP Guillambert), 4. Severini (Carlo Fiocchi). Won by: 4 1/4, Shd, Shd. Time: 2:06.46. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 5: 1. Perfect Storm (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Perigee (Harry Bentley), 3. What A Surprise (Jimmy Quinn), 4. Saint Roch (Carlo Fiocchi). Won by: 3/4, 1/2, Hd. Time: 2:17.99. Owner: Lulwa bint Faisal al-Haidos. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 6: 1. Al Walid (Faleh Bughanaim), 2. Sehab (Ronan Thomas), 3. She’ris (Eduardo Pedroza), 4. Shabah (Theo Bachelot). Won by: 1/4, 1 1/4, 2. Time: 2:05.19. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 7: 1. Qatar Dance (Theo Bachelot), 2. Tea Leaf (Ryan Curatolo), 3. Scudding (JP Guillambert), 4. Wayside Flower (Harry Bentley). Won by: 1, 1 1/4, 1 3/4. Time: 2:06.68. Owner: Mubarak bin Saeed al-Jafai al-Naimi. Trainer: Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Race 8: 1. Sraab (Ray Fuentes), 2. Sarmad Bu Thaila (Theo Bachelot), 3. Al Lusail (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Abu Samrah (Harry Bentley). Won by: 1/2, Shd, 1/2. Time: 2:35.45. Owner: Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik. Trainer: Ahmed Kobeissi.
Race 9: 1. Adham (Jimmy Quinn), 2. Saakhen (Marco Casamento), 3. Sandbetweenourtoes (Ryan Curatolo), 4. Hope Cove (Harry Bentley). Won by: 3/4, 1, Shd. Time: 1:12.40. Owner: Hussain Abdulatif al-Emadi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
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