Jockey Ryan Curatolo rode a big winner at the Oaks and Derby meeting for the second straight year as Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik’s Ex Miss topped the Qatar Oaks (QA Group 3) yesterday at the QREC’s Al Rayyan Park, with UK raider Maystar picking up a spectacular win in the Al Rayyan Stakes under Hollie Doyle.
Doyle has had a fantastic season become the winning-most female jockey in Britain earlier this month with her 107th win. She added yet another feather to her cap when she guided Archie Watson-trained Maystar to a thrilling victory in the USD100,000 seven-furlong race.
She kept the bay son of Mayson not too far from the front and then took the advantage on the straight, holding off Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Think Big by three quarters-of-a-length.
“It’s been unreal. I have done a lot of trips abroad and this is my first trip to Qatar. It’s a great privilege to be a winner in a race like that. I got a nice position, and we went very quick,” Doyle said after the victory.
In the USD100,000 feature, Ex Miss continued her run of impressive results under Curatolo, who had last year guided Full Moon to Qatar Derby victory for the connections. After being well held on debut at the end of last season, the filly bounced back with a victory on dirt and a fourth place in the Oaks Trial last month.
Yesterday, she made up a lot of ground in the second half of the 2,000m race, and had little trouble building the gap once she found the straight, winning by two-and-a-half lengths.
Mikhalides yet again had to settle for runner-up spot with Star Of War under Tom Marquand.
“Ryan is our lucky man. He goes on and off but when the big races come, he is alert and awake, and we are lucky with him. The filly actually loves this distance, and she is improving,” said al-Abdulmalik after the win.
Curatolo added: “I was sitting in the seventh or eighth position, and then on the back straight, I saw myself a bit too far. I tried to improve my position. And after that the race was over because when I picked out in the stretch, she just moved on. She was ready today.”
Some spectacular race pace towards the end of the mile-long Qatar Oaks for Local Thoroughbred fillies saw Umm Qarn’s Aafreen pick up a scintillating victory yesterday.
With veteran French jockey Olivier Peslier returning to Al Rayyan Park, the Atlantic Air filly turned out to be the perfect partner.
After staying midfield, Peslier timed his go-ahead perfectly as Alban de Mieulle’s ward was off, steadily going past Marquand-ridden Al Faisaliya in the final few metres.
“I am very pleased for His Highness Sheikh Abdullah (bin Khalifa al-Thani). After the turn I felt myself that it would be difficult for the filly, but Olivier asked and she answered very well,” De Mieulle told Gulf Times after the win.
De Mieulle’s wards made it two-in-two for the Frenchman with Al Shaqab Racing’s Gtnah unstoppable in the Qatar Oaks for four-year-old Purebred Arabians under Ronan Thomas.
The grey daughter of TM Fred Texas made good her promise from her Oaks Trial victory when yesterday she came from the back of the pack and darted past the field coming on to the final stretch, before winning by a dominant five lengths.
Father-son trainer duo – Jassim Mohamed Ghazali and Mohamed – swept the top three spots in the day’s first Cup race, the Sawda Natheel Stakes for fillies and mares.
In a frantic start to the six-furlong sprint, Mohamed’s ward, Vona darted out of her gates to set a fast pace, with one of this other wards, Flying Empress following suit under JP Guillambert. As Vona weakened coming off the bend, the latter took advantage but was soon joined by Harry Bentley-ridden Wayside Flower.
And then there were three with Shaheen bin Khalid Shaheen al-Ghanim’s Hillside Dream finding her way to the front under Theo Bachelot. Flying Empress weakened slightly to finish third as Bachelot and his mount edged Wayside Flower by half-a-length for her first victory in over two-and-a-half years.
Also entering the winner’s circle on the day for Ghazali Senior was Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalid bin Nasser al-Thani’s Hazm Al Sulaimi who was ridden by Bentley to a Purebred Arabian Handicap victory over six furlongs.
In a thrilling finish to the Purebred Arabian Plate event for three-year-old fillies, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Mon’nia made it two-in-two even leading a one-two for the famous white stars and royal blue silks and trainer Julian Smart.
Tomas Lukasek, who had helmed the filly to victory on her Qatar debut last time round, was in the saddle once again as the three-year-old edged out stablemate Challenge De Ghazal, ridden by Ryan Curatolo, by the smallest of margins.
Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Al Adheed went one better under Eduardo Pedroza than his last outing to shed his maiden status in the Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate event.
Also shedding her maiden status on the day was Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Sabeeha, ridden by Carlos Henrique for trainer Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani, who held off a spirited challenge from Alban de Mieulle-trained RS Rasheeda in the final few metres of the Local Purebred Arabian Plate event for three-year-old fillies.
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Al Adheed (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Al Shomos (Ronan Thomas), 3. Charles De Gaulle (Soufiane Saadi), 4. Aamal (Marco Casamento). Won by: 2 ¼, 5 ¼, 1 ¼. Time: 1:24.15. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 2: 1. Hazm Al Sulaimi (Harry Bentley), 2. Sendeed Al Galayel (Anas al-Seyabi), 3. Taysh (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 4. Ghazi Al Jeryan (Alexander Reznikov). Won by: 1 ¼, 2 ¼, 3. Time: 1:17.86. Owner: Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalid bin Nasser al-Thani. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 3: 1. Mon’nia (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Challenge De Ghazal (Ryan Curatolo), 3. Hakida (Ronan Thomas), 4. Albasos (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: No, 1 ¼, ½. Time: 1:44.85. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 4: 1. AJS Sabeeha (Carlos Henrique), 2. RS Rasheeda (Ronan Thomas), 3. Lama (Jimmy Quinn), 4. Badira (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: Hd, 9, 2 ¾. Time: 1:46.47. Owner: Al Jeryan Stud. Trainer: Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Race 5: 1. Hillside Dream (Theo Bachelot), 2. Wayside Flower (Harry Bentley), 3. Flying Empress (JP Guillambert), 4. Harry’s Dancer (Ronan Thomas). Won by: ½, 2 ¼, ½. Time: 1:10,61. Owner: Shaheen Bin Khalid Shaheen Al Ghanim. Trainer: Gassim Mohammad Ghazali.
Race 6: 1. Aafreen (Olivier Peslier), 2. Al Faisaliya (Tom Marquand), 3. Wadhah (Ryan Curatolo), 4. Sheikha (Luca Maniezzi). Won by: ¾, 4 ½, ¾. Time: 1:37.35. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 7: 1. Gtnah (Ronan Thomas), 2. Aksinya (Eduardo Pedroza), 3. Al Ryma Monalu (Harry Bentley), 4. AJS Jamra (Theo Bachelot). Won by: 5, ½, 2. Time: 2:13.73. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 8: 1. Maystar (Hollie Doyle), 2. Think Big (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Happy Bere (Olivier Peslier), 4. Flash Henry (Harry Bentley). Won by: ¾, 2, 1 ½. Time: 1:21.81. Owner: Hambleton Racing Ltd XXXVI. Trainer: Archie Watson.
Race 9: 1. Ex Miss (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Star Of War (Tom Marquand), 3. Manorah (Silvestre de Sousa), 4. Luchador (JP Guillambert). Won by: 2 ½, 1 ¾, 1 ¼. Time: 2:01.73. Owner: Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik. Trainer: Ahmed Kobeissi.
QREC CEO Nasser Sherida al-Kaabi (third from right) with the winners of Al Rayyan Stakes after Hollie Doyle (second from right) rode Maystar to victory yesterday.
