Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Muraqabah capped a good day in office for Jassim Mohamed Ghazali as the champion trainer registered a treble at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
In the Al Dibal Cup, the six-furlong Local Thoroughbred Conditions feature, the seven-year-old mare did well under her first time partner Al Moatasem al-Balushi to edge out Faleh Bughanaim-ridden Saar, trained by Zuhair Mohsen, for her third sprint victory this season. Qatar-bred Dijlah Zakhir was the second winner on the day for Ghazali, who looks set to take his sixth consecutive trainers’ championship. 
The Zakhir Stud filly, with al-Balushi in the saddle, edged out Damien Morin-ridden Khor Al Adaid by a quarter of a length to win the 1700m Purebred Arabian Handicap event for horses rated 75 and below. Qatari apprentice rider Ali Khalid al-Mosallam guided Mansoor Ebrahim al-Mahmoud’s Noble Ancestry to a maiden victory earlier in the day for Ghazali. The win was al-Mosallam’s second this season. In the penultimate race of the day, Ahmed Kobeissi-saddled Ateej registered his third career victory when Tomas Lukasek rode Dr Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Attiyah & Son’s colt to a win in the six-furlong Purebred Arabian Conditions sprint.
This was Ateej’s first victory at Al Rayyan Park since he won the Qatar Derby back in December 2016, and Lukasek’s second on the day. Deborah Mountain-trained Alizoom may have had a see-saw of a season but the Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik-owned gelding finally notched a win when Lukasek guided the six-year-old to a thrilling victory in the 1700m Thoroughbed Handicap race, where he edged out Bughanaim and his mount El Patron by a little less than a length, while Lo Da Nalane was third by a mere neck. Bader al-Balushi-trained Bint Saffian had shown promise over sprints, with all her top five finishes coming in in six-furlong races. Yesterday, with apprentice rider Meteb Ali al-Marri in the saddle, in the colours of Al Azraq Stable, the four-year-old was in smashing form to register her first victory in the course and distance Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap event for fillies and mares.
She beat Alban de Mieulle-trained Mixi Charm by eight lengths as jockey Mathieu Pelletan had to settle for runner-up spot for the second time yesterday. Earlier in the day, Ghazali’s son, Mohamed, and the champion trainer himself saddled a maiden winner each — Injaaz Stud’s Al Huwailah and Mansoor Ebrahim al-Mahmoud’s Noble Ancestry. While Guillambert helmed the former in the card-opener, Noble Ancestry was the second winner of the season for Qatari apprentice rider Ali Khalid al-Mosallam.
The only Arabian to shed her maiden status on the day was Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Texas, helmed by Jimmy Quinn in the colours of Al Bidaa Stud.