Guillambert rides Receding Waves to win for his treble

In a blitz of a race, JP Guillambert rode Mohamed Jassim Ghazali-trained Receding Waves to a fantastic victory in the Umm Al Afai Cup sprint, yesterday’s feature on dirt at Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (QREC) Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
The 1100m Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 75-95 saw the Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari-owned colt take the advantage on the back straight, and withstand intense pressure from Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani-schooled Top Face, with Tomas Lukasek in the saddle, in the final two furlongs to win with a length to spare.
Midsummer Knight finished a promising third on his Qatar debut for Ghazali’s father and champion trainer, Jassim, under Marco Casamento.
The winner was Guillambert’s third on the day, having guided Ghazali senior’s ward, Rahibah, to victory in the six-furlong Local Purebred Arabians event for four-year-old and older fillies and mares, and Lo De Nalane, also from the stables of the champion trainer, to his maiden victory in the Thoroughbred Maiden Plate event.
Jassim Mohamed Ghazali himself had three winners, with al-Kuwari’s Caid De L’Ardus winning the penultimate race of the day, a six-furlong Purebred Arabian Conditions race, under champion jockey Harry Bentley.
Qatari jockey Yousef al-Hajri and Faleh Bughanaim rode winners on the day too, with al-Hajri riding Abdullatif Saad al-Muslamani-trained Eskander Yar to a maiden victory in a Novice event, before helming Thorndyke, another al-Muslamani charge, to victory in the Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 80 and below.
Bughanaim, who received the Best Qatari Jockey Award on the Qatar Sports Excellence Day from Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) president HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani in November, rode Al Shaqab Racing’s Bsheer to a fine two-length victory in the 1700m Purebred Arabian Handicap race for horses rated 80 and below for trainer Hossin Mohamed Ashour.
Ibrahim al-Malki’s wards locked out the top two spots in the 1700m Local Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 85 and below, with Jimmy Quinn riding Shaman Bu Thaila to a one length victory ahead of stablemate Mister Mahjoob, who was partnered by Bughanaim. Qatari apprentice jockey Rashid Ali al-Marri helmed the third-placed Daleem in the race.
Lukasek rode Mohamed Nasser al-Naimi’s Normandie Attack to the colt’s first victory in Qatar, when they topped the Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 70 and below with only a short head to spare.
 
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Eskander Yar (Yousef al-Hajri), 2. Texas (Jimmy Quinn), 3. E’zaaz (Theo Bachelot), 4. Munaawashat (Harry Bentley). Won by: 3 1/2, 3 1/4, 1/2. Time: 1:19.26. Owner: Dr Ebtesam Abdullatif al-Muslamani. Trainer: Abdullatif Saad al-Muslamani.
Race 2: 1. Lo De Nalane (JP Guillambert), 2. Modhafarah (Marco Casamento), 3. Almasah (Theo Bachelot), 4. Acclaimed Dancer (Adnan Hawa). Won by: No, 1 1/2, 2 1/2. Time: 1:12.10. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 3: 1. Normandie Attack (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Al Mikdam (Gerald Avranche), 3. Eledeed (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 4. Nautical Mile (Ivan Rossi). Won by: Shd, 1 1/4, 3/4. Time: 2:03.84. Owner: Mohamed Nasser al-Naimi. Trainer: Mohamed Nasser al-Naimi.
Race 4: 1. Thorndyke (Yousef al-Hajri), 2. Noble Masterpiece (Marco Casamento), 3. Crisscrossed (Theo Bachelot), 4. Hakeem (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: 8 3/4, 1 3/4, 1. Time: 1:10.78. Owner: Dr Ebtesam Abdullatif al-Muslamani. Trainer: Abdullatif Saad al-Muslamani.
Race 5: 1. Bsheer (Faleh Bughanaim), 2. Yanar (JP Guillambert), 3. Khor Al Adaid (Ivan Rossi), 4. Taysh (Rashid Ali al-Marri). Won by: 2, Nk, Hd. Time: 2:00.27. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Hossin Mohamed Ashour.
Race 6: 1. Shaman Bu Thaila (Jimmy Quinn), 2. Mister Mahjoob (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Daleem (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 4. The Shark (Marco Casamento). Won by: 1, Hd, Nk. Time: 1:51.12. Owner: Ibrahim al-Malki. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 7: 1. Rahibah (JP Guillambert), 2. Zahwa (Harry Bentley), 3. Al Eshrah (Marco Casamento), 4. Walaa (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: 4 3/4, 2 3/4, 1 1/2. Time: 1:19.32. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 8: 1. Caid De L’Ardus (Harry Bentley), 2. Zameer (JP Guillambert), 3. Saab (Gerald Avranche), 4. Al Muntathar (Eduardo Pedroza). Won by: 3 1/4, Hd, Hd. Time: 1:18.21. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 9: 1. Receding Waves (JP Guillambert), 2. Top Face (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Midsummer Knight (Marco Casamento), 4. My Sharona (Harry Bentley). Won by: 1, 4 1/2, Hd. Time: 1:04.04. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.