Mualah, Concierge claim honours on day of duels

On a day of duels, champion trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali lost some and then won some as his ward, Mualah, capped a tough day for him with a win in the Qatar Oaks (Group 3) after another filly of his, Luchador, lost out to British rival, Concierge, in the Al Rayyan Stakes at Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (QREC) Al Rayyan Park turf yesterday.
It was the second straight year that a UK trainer saddled the winner in the USD 100,000 Al Rayyan Stakes, a seven-furlong run for two-year-olds. George Scott’s Concierge, Jason Watson in the saddle, won the 2018 edition edging out Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Luchador, ridden by JP Guillambert, by a short head at the post.
In the final race of the card, Harry Bentley-ridden Mualah had stayed up front in the 2,000m race but suddenly found themselves alongside Al Jeryan Stud’s Mzoon, who took the inside line under Tomas Lukasek, in the final few metres.
Anticipation was very high, even as Ghazali congratulated Mzoon trainer Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani. But when the photos were brought out, Mualah had made a spectacular comeback after a long break. Mualah won by a nose, and it was al-Ramzani’s turn to wish Ghazali on the victory.
“I was very happy. It was only in the last few strides that the other horse started to get to me. I thought I had won, but having seen the footage, I hadn’t realised it was so close. It’s been a tough day,” champion jockey Bentley told Gulf Times after the victory.
An ecstatic Ghazali said, “Before I came down, I had thought I had lost the race, and even congratulated my friend Hadi al-Ramzani. But it was a strong finish to a tough day. She had a small problem and came back into training in the last two months. So to come back and win the Oaks first race is great.”
Young UK trainer, Scott, had a few nail-biting moments when Concierge made a slow start. But all that changed as the gelding did enough to edge out Luchador for a win.
“It didn’t necessarily go according to plan. A bit slow out of the gates, but Jason is a quality rider and he didn’t panic and luckily he had a horse to make up the ground. We are delighted. He is a quality horse,” Scott said after the win.
Talking about Luchador, he said, “The second horse put up a massive massive run. You always have to respect the local horses with the home advantage.”
French trainer Alban de Mieulle completed a treble with Umm Qarn’s Jowharat imperious in her run on the home straight to win the Qatar Oaks for four-year-old Purebred Arabian fillies yesterday.
Ronan Thomas’ mount had tracked leader Al Dawoodea, helmed by Faleh Bughanaim in the silks of Al Shaqab Racing, in the 2,000m race, before it took the lead inside the final furlong and kept building up the gap for a four-and-a-half length victory. Theo Bachelot guided Julian Smart-trained Nairouz to a third place.
De Mieulle second winner was Umm Qarn’s Adhab, who showed class on her debut yesterday.
In the Local Purebred Arabian Plate event for three-year-old fillies, Mathieu Pelletan’s mount put on display some impressive pace in the final furlong of the mile-long run to go past a few of the challengers and win by a length ahead of Mubarak al-Khayareen-trained Majdoleen. Stablemate Rihab, ridden by Thomas, completed the top three.
De Mieulle’s first victory was with Al Shaqab Racing’s Gtnah, who shed her maiden status on her second Qatar outing in the Purebred Arabian Plate event for three-year-old fillies.
With Ronan Thomas in the saddle for the miler, the filly stayed midfield as Guillambert set the pace on the back straight astride Boushra. However, at the post, it was Gtnah who had built a healthy four length gap over al-Ramzani-trained Wadha PY, helmed by Lukasek, for a fine win. Mohamed Riyaz-trained Boushra had to settle for a third place.
Al Jeryan Stud’s Latamah edged out al-Kuwari’s Jouriya by three quarters of a length to win the mile-long Qatar Oaks for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. With Lukasek in the saddle, this was al-Ramzani-trained Latamah’s second career win, having shed her maiden status over the course and distance in April this year.
Mohamed Hussain Afroz-trained Bronze Maquette had finished outside the top four only twice in her last 15 outings, even though she won only once last season.
Yesterday, in her third race this season, the six-year-old mare showed some pace at the right moment, as Bachelot had her take the advantage a furlong out in the six furlong Sawda Natheel Stakes for thoroughbred fillies and mares, and then held on well ahead of a fast-closing Wayside Flower, ridden by Harry Bentley, for a fine victory.
Another Afroz ward, Darkanna, finished third under Jean Baptiste Hamel.
In only his second week in Qatar, jockey Ryan Curatolo raced his third winner when he guided Mohamed Khaled Elahmed-schooled Bint Al Akaber to a fantastic victory with a little more than three lengths to spare in the six furlong Purebred Arabian Handicap sprint for horses rated 75 and below.
Earlier in the day, Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Bab Al Rayyan went one better than his first outing to shed his maiden status under Eduardo Pedroza in the seven-furlong Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate event.

RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Bab Al Rayyan (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Sharhan Azzam (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Evian (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Charles De Gaulle (Saleem Golam). Won by: 4 ½, 4 ¾, ¾. Time: 1:26.01. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 2: 1. Bint Al Akaber (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Al Hawjaa(Jean Baptiste Hamel), 3. Fanann (Theo Bachelot), 4. Lolita Du Panjshir (Saleem Golam). Won by: 3 ¼, Hd, 2 ¼. Time: 1:17.96. Owner: Subaiya Awad Ibrahim. Trainer: Mohamed Khaled Elahmed.
Race 3: 1. Gtnah (Ronan Thomas), 2. Wadha PY (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Boushra (JP Guillambert), 4. Taish (Theo Bachelot). Won by: 4, 1 ½, ¾. Time: 1:47.95 Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 4: 1. Adhab (Mathieu Pelletan), 2. Majdoleen (JP Guillambert), 3. Rihab (Ronan Thomas), 4. AJS Rayah (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 1, 2, ¼. Time: 1:48.52. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 5: 1. Bronze Maquette (Theo Bachelot), 2. Wayside Flower (Harry Bentley), 3. Darkanna (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 4. Harry’s Dancer (Stephan Ladjadj). Won by: 1 ½, 1 ¾, 1 ½. Time: 1:10.29. Owner: Al Thumama Racing. Trainer: Mohamed Hussain Afroz.
Race 6: 1. Latamah (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Jouriya (Marco Casamento), 3. Insijam (Harry Bentley), 4. Mizoun (Ray Fuentes). Won by: ¾, 1 ¼, 7 ½. Time: 1:40.22. Owner: Al Jeryan Stud. Trainer: Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Race 7: 1. Jowharat (Ronan Thomas), 2. Al Dawoodea (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Nairouz (Theo Bachelot), 4. AJS Dhabi (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 4 ½, 3 ½, 1. Time: 2:13.92. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 8: 1. Concierge (Jason Watson), 2. Luchador (JP Guillambert), 3. Arabic Channel (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Courageux (Carlo Fiocchi). Won by: Shd, 4 ½, 2 ¾. Time: 1:23.28. Owner: Bartram, Kilburn & Ware. Trainer: George Scott.
Race 9: 1. Mualah (Harry Bentley), 2. Mzoon (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Northern Beam (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Al Hasnaa (Marco Casamento). Won by: No, 4 ½, ¼. Time: 2:04.22. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi.