In a spectacular finish, Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Noor Al Hawa won his second straight feature this month when the Georges Mikhalides ward won His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani Trophy (QA Group 2) at the Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
Adrie de Vries kept the Al Safliya Cup (Listed) winner in the mix in the 2000m race, as Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Pazeer and Mohamed Riyaz-school Extremis set the pace up front in the race for three-year-old and older Thoroughbreds.
As the action moved to the final straight, the pace quickened and Noor Al Hawa took the advantage with Jassim Mohamed Ghazali-saddled The Blue Eye joining the party under Harry Bentley, even as Pazeer weakened under Eduardo Pedroza.
As Noor Al Hawa took a sizeable advantage, the race was brought alive with a fantastic turn of foot by last year’s Qatar Derby topper Full Moon, once again helmed by Ryan Curatolo for trainer Deborah Mountain in the colours of Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik.
The colt had stayed at the back of the pack and went wide coming off the final bend but then picked up pace coming threateningly close to the lead before eventually running out of real estate.
Full Moon edged out The Blue Eye for the runner-up spot but was beaten by a length-and-a-quarter for the win.
In a graduation event for local Purebred Arabians, Julian Smart-trained Al Wannah made it to the winner’s circle for the third time in 2019 when Tomas Lukasek rode His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s colt to a thrilling short head-victory over seven furlongs.
Later in the evening the famous Al Shahania Stud colours entered the winner’s circle once again when Lukasek helmed Aaley Al Magam to a scintillating victory in the Jaafer Cup for Smart.
It was also the first time that the seven-year-old won in a little over a year, having finished third in last year’s edition of the 2000m race.
Smart’s ward finished a length-and-a-half ahead of Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Moaddie, who was ridden by Alexander Reznikov for trainer Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Champion trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali had a winner in a Thoroughbred Handicap event with Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari’s Sam Langford registering his first victory in Qatar yesterday. In the miler, a distance the gelding has won in the UK, Harry Bentley helmed the three-year-old and they beat Eduardo Pedroza-ridden Hessdalen by a head for a fine win.
Qatari jockey Saleh Salem al-Marri has already done better than his previous season’s tally of three wins, riding Bader al-Balushi-trained Hakeem to a fine victory in a Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 80 and below. Al-Marri and his mount beat Holy Roman Prince, also ridden by a Qatari rider Ali Khalid al-Mosallam, for the jockey’s fourth victory this season.
Earlier in the day, Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Hamayem and Umm Qarn’s Chamekh registered their first career wins respectively under Ivan Rossi and Ronan Thomas respectively.
Thomas was also astride Majed Seifeddine saddled-Qatar Dance in the Thoroughbreds race for fillies and mares when the seven-year-old picked up a fine win by a length-and-a-quarter. 
 
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. AJS Hamayem (Ivan Rossi), 2. Maiuf (Ronan Thomas), 3. AJS Al Uraiq (Al Moatasem al-Balushi), 4. Alsdry (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: ½, 4, Nk. Time: 1:30.75. Owner: Al Jeryan Stud. Trainer: Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Race 2: 1. Chamekh (Ronan Thomas), 2. Diyala (Theo Bachelot), 3. Nisal (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 4. Razad (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: Nk, Shd, No. Time: 2:14.35. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 3: 1. Al Wannah (Tomas Lukasek), 2. AJS Jamra (Alexander Reznikov), 3. Fahim (Ronan Thomas), 4. Sendeed Al Galayel (Anas al-Seyabi). Won by: Shd, 5 ¼, Nk. Time: 1:31.05. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 4: 1. Sam Langford (Harry Bentley), 2. Hessdalen (Eduardo Pedroza), 3. Jacko (Theo Bachelot), 4. Zarandi (Carlos Henrique). Won by: Hd, 1 ¼, ¾. Time: 1:35.16. Owner: Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 5: 1. Hakeem (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 2. Holy Roman Prince (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 3. War Order (Ivan Rossi), 4. Qatar Weave (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: 1, ¾, Nk. Time: 1:36.08. Owner: Rashid Mohamed al-Athba. Trainer: Bader al-Balushi.
Race 6: 1. Qatar Dance (Ronan Thomas), 2. Amenable (Luca Maniezzi), 3. Festive (Harry Bentley), 4. Almahha (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: 1 ¼, ½, Shd. Time: 1:53.51. Owner: Mubarak bin Saeed al-Jafai al-Naimi. Trainer: Majed Seifeddine.
Race 7: 1. Shaman Bu Thaila (Anas al-Seyabi), 2. Moaddie (Theo Bachelot), 3. Latamah (Ronan Thomas), 4. Sarat Abha (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 1 ½, Hd, Hd. Time: 1:23.45. Owner: Ibrahim al-Malki. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 8: 1. Aaley Al Magam (Tomas Lukasek), 2. AJS Moaddie (Alexander Reznikov), 3. Mehdi (Ronan Thomas), 4. She’ris (Eduardo Pedroza). Won by: 1 ½, ¾, 3 ¼. Time: 2:12.23. Owner: Al Shahania Stud. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 9: 1. Noor Al Hawa (Adrie de Vries), 2. Full Moon (Ryan Curatolo), 3. The Blue Eye (Harry Bentley), 4. Pazeer (Eduardo Pedroza). Won by: 1 1/4, Hd, 1. Time: 2:00.44. Owner: Al Wasmiyah Farm. Trainer: Georges Mikhalides.
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