The curtain fell on the 2018/2019 racing season on Thursday at QREC Al Rayyan Park with the staging of a nine-race card on turf, including two feature races: Al Karana Cup and Al Jassasiya Cup. 

Al Karana Cup (Class 2 TB) (1600m) 
Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s The Blue Eye had won the Qatar Gold Trophy on his most recent start and again he made a bold bid to enhance his fine strike rate on Thursday to clinch the Al Karana Cup, the season’s final race. 
It was a remarkable day for the pair – trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali Jahromi and jockey Theo Bachelot – as they completed their record of five victories on the last race day of the season. They led the seven-year-old horse to a comfortable two and half length victory ahead of Ibrahim Saeed Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Pazeer, who came second with Eduardo Pedroza in the saddle. The Alban Elie Marie de Mieulle-schooled Heshem was further one and three quarters of a length behind in third under Ronan Thomas.

Al Jassasiya Cup 
(Local TB) (1400m) 
Al Jerian Stud’s Al Lusail landed this race last year and has had the perfect preparation with a brace of victories in the last month or so and he looked primed for a very bold defence and he did. The Hadi Nasser Rashid al-Ramzani trained five-year-colt kept his title and won Al Jassasiya Cup for the second consecutive year. 
Ronan Thomas was the man in the saddle this year and steered the winner to a short-heard victory ahead of the Zuhair Mohsen Zuhair Maki-trained Saar with Faleh Bughanaim astride. 
The Ibrahim Saeed Ibrahim al-Malki trained and the Anas al-Seyabi-ridden Nahaab completed the frame with further one and three quarters of a lengths behind.

Thoroughbreds (Class 2) (2400m) (1600m) 
Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Alignement have now fully acclimatised to his new surroundings in Doha, following a Conditions win with an excellent third in the Qatar Gold Trophy. 
On Thursday, the six-year-old gelding confirmed his class, adding to his tally when he won the 2400m race with three quarters of a length to spare, recording for each of his trainer Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi and his jockey Theo Bachelot their fourth win in the race meeting.

Thoroughbreds (Fillies & Mares) (Class 3) (1600m)
Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani’s CHE Bella finally managed to have her name on the scoreboard this season when she won the one-long run for fillies and mares. While the terms of the race seemed against her, Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani was able to have all her rivals behind her and do well under Jean Baptiste Hamel to beat her closet rival by a nose.

Purebred Arabian Handicap (90 & below) (1600m) 
Mansoor Ibrahim al-Mahmoud’s Al Neksh opened his account on dirt last month and has since added a brace of runner-up efforts from three outings. The Jassim Mohamed Ghazali Jahromi-saddled five-year-old horse doubled his tally when steered by Bachelot to victory in the mile-long run. It was a quick-double fire for the trainer and the jockey and their third on the day. It was also a one-two-three for trainer Jassim as he saddled the first three runners home.

Thoroughbred Handicap (Class 4) (85 & below) (1600m)
Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Gangland was back on the scoresheet in February and gave respectable efforts since. He was already a favourite in this race and he did manage to come on top and see off his rivals, making it a double for both his trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali Jahromi and his jockey Theo Bachelot.

Local Thoroughbred Handicap (85 & below) (1600m)
Mohammed Ahmad al-Abdulmalik’s Look At Me won a C&D Maiden Plate winner back in March 2018. Although he did not threaten to score in handicaps of late, the four-year-old gelding proved his merit this time, winning the mile-long handicap with the narrowest margins with Eduardo Pedroza, giving his trainer Ibrahim Saeed Ibrahim al-Malki his second win of the day.

Purebred Arabian Handicap (80 & below) (1200m) 
Zakhir Stud’s Al Eshrah bounced back when reverted to sprinting after a couple of quiet runs. 
The Jassim Mohamed Ghazali Jahromi-trained seven-year-old mare was a willing partner of jockey Theo Bachelot, who led her to one and a half-length victory in the six-furlong contest.
Thoroughbred Maiden Plate (Class 6) (1600m) 
Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani’s Al Haitham was the winner of the mile-long maiden. After he had been well held in 3 maidens this year, Ibrahim Saeed Ibrahim al-Malki’s charge appeared in top form Anas al-Seyabi to beat the competition by quarter of a length under. It was a one-two for both the owner and the trainer as AL GAZI was the runner-up.