Full Moon shines on Derby Day; double for Al Shaqab

Deborah Mountain-trained Full Moon won a thriller of a Qatar Derby (Group 1) that had everyone in the audience at the edge of their seats especially since the colt was coming down the home straight, breathing down the neck of one of the favourites, Mr Satchmo, at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
As the two went past the post in the 2,000m USD500,000 race, there was little to separate the two, and it took a replay to allow for Full Moon’s Qatar-based connections to begin celebrations, having beaten the French raider by a short head.
“Inside, when I saw the full moon up there,” trainer Deborah Mountain said and then burst into a hearty laugh.
“He didn’t get the best of runs in the Guineas, got caught at the rear. It’s a good race with some good entries, and he has proved that he is good enough for this high standard.”
There was a last minute change of jockey for Abdullah Hassan Ali Abdulmalik-owned colt with Ryan Curatolo finding his way into the saddle, and making full use of the Group 1 opportunity within a week of his first race in Qatar.
“I put him in the right position, and followed Olivier Peslier and his French horse on the straight. I just struck him, and then followed the line all the way giving it all. He has got a big heart. I am very lucky to be here. I want to thank Debbie. I just came here (Qatar) and thought of giving it a try and have done well so far. When you win a Group 1 like that, it’s all worth it,” Curatolo, who now has four wins in Qatar, said after the win.
In the penultimate race of the day, Julien Auge overcame a brief setback early on when he lost his balance astride Al Shaqab Racing’s Rijm going on to the back straight, to emerge victorious in the Qatar Derby (Group 2 PA) for four-year-old Purebred Arabians.
The scare put him at the back of the pack in the 2,000m race, but along with his chestnut colt, he steadily moved up the order on the outside and took the lead on the home straight, never to relinquish it, for a comfortable win.
Jassim Mohamed Ghazali’s duo – Al Shahania Stud’s Rajeh and Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Easter De Faust – completed the top three in the USD150,000 race.
It was the second straight victory on the day for Al Shaqab Racing, Fourcy and Auge, after Amir Al Cham registered his first group level victory when he topped the Qatar Derby (Group 3 PA) for three-year-old Purebred Arabians with ease.
As Fourcy’s ward won the race, Faleh Bughanaim-helmed Daloob edged out Tomas Lukasek-ridden AJS Moaddie at the post by a short head to make it a one-two for the owners.
An ecstatic Fourcy said, “Very very good and happy. I love Qatar and Al Shaqab Racing.”
Ibrahim al-Malki’s ward Surra Man Raa was unstoppable in the local Thoroughbred Qatar Derby once he took the lead under Eduardo Pedroza in the 1,850m race.
The owner-trainer-jockey trio of Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari, Jassim Mohamed Ghazali and Harry Bentley notched two straight victories on the day.
Al Junood took the advantage in the mile-long Local Purebred Arabian Plate for three-year-olds on the final straight and had Da’aas for company under Anas al-Seyabi. Even as Al Junood held on, Umm Qarn’s Fahim, ridden by Ronan Thomas for Alban de Mieulle,showed some pace late to edge out Da’aas for the second spot.
In a late surge by Bentley-ridden Hydroxide, Ghazali’s ward edged out Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani-saddled Top Face by a neck at the post to win the Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 75-95.
Hydroxide was on the rails and stuck behind traffic coming off the bend. But Bentley made use of a timely gap and surged ahead for a close win, the gelding’s first this season.
Qatari jockeys Meteb Ali al-Marri and Faleh Bughanaim locked the top two spots in the Local Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 80 and below when the former rode Hamad Ateeq al-Marri’s ward, Reem Brooq, to a thrilling victory in the miler, with Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Shaman Bu Thaila second by a neck.
Earlier in the day, Mohamed Nasser al-Naimi-trained Arbed and Alban de Mieulle-schooled Haloul registered their first career wins in the Local Purebred Arabian Novice Plate and Thoroughbred Maiden Plate events respectively.

RESULTS
Race 1: Arbed (Tadgh O’Shea), 2. Elwan (Harry Bentley), 3. AJS Al Maha (Tomas Lukasek), 4. AJS Al Moheeb (JP Guillambert). Won by: ¼, 2, 1 ½. Time: 2:06.43. Owner: Al Jeryan Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Nasser al-Naimi.
Race 2: 1. Haloul (Faleh Bughanaim), 2. Istibdad (JP Guillambert), 3. Suprematism (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Nautical Mile (Anas al-Seyabi). Won by: 1 ¾, ¾, ¼. Time: 1:54.93. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 3: 1. Reem Brooq (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 2. Shaman Bu Thaila (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Khoud (Anas al-Seyabi), 4. Mister Lal (Eduardo Pedroza). Won by: Nk, 2 ¾, 1 ¾. Time: 1:38.16. Owner: Brooq Stud. Trainer: Hamad Ateeq al-Marri.
Race 4: 1. Hydroxide (Harry Bentley), 2. Top Face (Tomas Lukasek), 3. First To Post (Eduardo Pedroza), 4. Al Maftoon (JP Guillambert). Won by: Nk, ¼, ¾. Time: 1:22.59. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 5: 1. Al Junood (Harry Bentley), 2. Fahim (Ronan Thomas), 3. Da’aas (Anas al-Seyabi), 4. AJS Al Aredh (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: ¾, Nk, 5 ¼. Time: 1:47.15. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 6: 1. Surra Man Raa (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Nahaab (Ronan Thomas), 3. Al Motanaa (JP Guillambert), 4. Qate’e (Harry Bentley). Won by: 3 ¼, 4, Shd. Time: 1:59.28. Owner: Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 7: 1. Amir Al Cham (Julien Auge), 2. Daloob (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. AJS Moaddie (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Tabouk (Jean Baptiste Hamel). Won by: 1 ¼, Shd, 2 ½. Time: 1:44.67. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Thomas Fourcy.
Race 8: 1. Rijm (Julien Auge), 2. Rajeh (Theo Bachelot), 3. Easter De Faust (Harry Bentley), 4. Abercrombie (Eduardo Pedroza). Won by: 1 ¾, 1 ¼, 1 ¼. Time: 2:13.23. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Thomas Fourcy.
Race 9: 1. Full Moon (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Mr Satchmo (Olivier Peslier), 3. Es’hail (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Al Adaid (Ronan Thomas). Won by: Shd, 1 ½, 1 ¾. Time: 2:02.17. Owner: Abdullah Hassan Ali Abdulmalik. Trainer: Deborah Mountain.