Champion trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali saddled three more winners to his tally at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (QREC) Al Rayyan Park yesterday including AJS Wathanan that topped the Al Gharafa Cup on dirt. 
Ridden by Marco Casamento in the Al Ghazali Stud silks, AJS Wathanan has been in impressive form this season, having opened his campaign with a feature victory three weeks ago. The gelding had also closed out his previous season with a feature win.
Yesterday, the seven-year-old edged out Soufiane Saadi-ridden Akmar, who was on a two-race streak of his own, by a neck, winning a scintillating duel at the post, in the 1800m Arabian race.
In the previous race too, Casamento rode a Ghazali ward to victory with Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Perigee winning his second straight Thoroughbred Handicap event.
Another Thoroughbred Handicap winner for the champion trainer yesterday was Hamad bin Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Attiyah’s Barbarous Relic, ridden by JP Guillambert to a close short head victory.
Ibrahim al-Malki too saddled a winner on the day after Eduardo Pedroza rode Shaheen to a Thoroughbred Handicap win over six furlongs.
Earlier in the evening, brothers Meteb and Rashid Ali al-Marri led a one-two for Qatari apprentice riders with the former riding Nashmi Brooq to a thrilling victory in the novice race for local Purebred Arabians.
Hamad Ateeq al-Marri-trained colt won the six-furlong sprint with three-quarters of a length to spare with Rashid helming Dalal Brooq to second place for trainer Abdulaziz Hamad al-Marri.
Umm Qarn’s Aaila built on her Umm Salal Oaks Trial performance from a week ago to shed her maiden status on her seventh career outing with Ronan Thomas in the saddle once again for trainer Alban de Mieulle.
Jockey Ryan Curatolo rode two straight winners on the day, starting with Mohamed Khaled Elahmed-schooled Rosasa in the Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate event, and following it up with a dominant win astride Osama Omer al-Dafea’s Izzer in the Thoroughbred Graduation Plate event.
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Nashmir Brooq (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 2. Dalal Brooq (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 3. Ghazi Al Jeryan (Soufiane Saadi), 4. Texas (Ryan Curatolo). Won by: ¾, ¾, ¼. Time: 1:22.16. Owner: Brooq Stud. Trainer: Hamad Ateeq al-Marri.
Race 2: 1. Aaila (Ronan Thomas), 2. Al Sabba (Ivan Rossi), 3. Chabha (Soufiane Saadi), 4. Enfrad (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: 3 ¼, 1 ½, 3 ¾. Time: 2:05.90. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 3: 1. Rosasa (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Dalal Al Brooq (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 3. Doha Surprise (Eduardo Pedroza), 4. That Al Sawary (Ronan Thomas). Won by: 5 ¾, 7 ¾, 1 ½. Time: 1:15.43.Owner: Subaiya Awad Ibrahim. Trainer: Mohamed Khaled Elahmed.
Race 4: 1. Izzer (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Life Of Riley (Ronan Thomas), 3. Regality (Marco Casamento), 4. Almasah (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: 5, 2 ½, Shd. Time: 1:00.71. Owner: Osama Omer al-Dafea. Trainer: Osama Omer al-Dafea.
Race 5: 1. Barbarous Relic (JP Guillambert), 2. Palmetto Dunes (Ryan Curatolo), 3. Al Mikdam (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Shadow Game (Al Moatasem al-Balushi). Won by: Shd, 4 ¾, Nk. Time: 1:59.17. Owner: Hamad bin Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Attiyah. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 6: 1. Shaheen (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. French Encore (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 3. Thorndyke (Gary Sanchez), 4. Gangland (Harry Bentley). Won by: 3 ¾, Shd, 3 ¼. Time: 1:13.01. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 7: 1. Perigee (Marco Casamento), 2. High Commander (Al Moatasem al-Balushi), 3. Bluebeard (Pier Convertino), 4. Woodkid (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 3, ½, ¾. Time: 1:50.79. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 8: 1. AJS Wathanan (Marco Casamento), 2. Akmar (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Caid De L’Ardus (JP Guillambert), 4. Dabaab (Ronan Thomas). Won by: Nk, 2 ¾, 8 ¼. Time: 2:08.48. Owner: Al Ghazali Stud. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
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