It was a great day at the track for the famous white stars and royal blue silks of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani and Al Shahania Stud, trainer Julian Smart and jockey Tomas Lukasek at Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday, even as Ryan Curatolo helmed two other feature winners in the colours of Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik.
Sheikh Mohamed’s multiple Group 1 winner Ebraz hit the winner’s circle for the first time this season in Qatar after just missing out on a Group 2 victory earlier this month.
Yesterday, Lukasek and the seven-year-old had little trouble picking up a fine one-length victory, before Al Shaman made it two in row for the owner-trainer-jockey combine.
The US-bred six-year-old won for the first time since December 2018 and led a one-two-three for the owners with Stefano Ibido-trained duo — Veranda and Qatari Gold — finishing second and third under Ronan Thomas and Luca Maniezzi respectively.
And then it was the turn of Australian-bred Off He Goes that won the first Group outing of his 13-race career, topping the Khor Al Adaid Cup (QA Group 3).
The six-year-old Smart ward won a thrilling duel to win one of the longest races of the Qatari season at 2800m, edging out Umm Qarn’s Duke Of Dundee, ridden by Thomas for Alban de Mieulle, by a nose. Another Sheikh Mohamed gelding, Otwo, made it to the frame for Ibido under Maniezzi.
In the penultimate race of the day, Deborah Mountain-trained Seeyoubyme won the 2000m Thoroughbreds Classic race by a little over a length for the gelding’s third victory in four outings. All of the four-year-old’s wins have come under Curatolo.
Curatolo was also in the saddle for Oaks topper Ex Miss that closed out a fantastic day on the track for the Frenchman. Ahmed Kobeissi’s ward won the 2000 Thoroughbreds Pearl race, the filly’s third victory this season.
Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Black Pearl has now gone four races without a loss staying unbeaten in his short career so far. The Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi-owned gelding has shown amazing versatility opening with a victory over six furlongs, before stepping up to a mile and 1850m with equal tenacity. Stepping back down to a six-furlong sprint in the Local Thoroughbred Plate event, the four-year-old picked up a fine victory winning by one-and-a-half lengths under Eduardo Pedroza.
Qatari apprentice rider Meteb Ali al-Marri continued with his best season so far riding his sixth winner of the season. Coming into this season, the rider had five victories under his belt so far, and has done really well this time round. Yesterday, it was Mohamed Ali Yousef al-Sheeb’s Kasser in a Local Purebred Arabian Conditions event that partnered al-Marri, and the duo picked up their second course and distance victory of the season together having won a six-furlong conditions sprint early in December too.
The meeting opened with Theo Bachelot helming Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Daneyan to victory in a 2000m Thoroughbred Handicap race for horses rated 70-90. It was the second victory of the season for Jassim Mohamed Ghazali’s ward.
Also a winner yesterday was Majed Seifeddine-schooled Ennab that won a Local Purebred Arabian Handicap race under Ronan Thomas.


RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Daneyan (Theo Bachelot), 2. Finding Nero (Ivan Rossi), 3. Hajaj (Alexander Reznikov), 4. Suprematism (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 1 ¼, Hd, 2. Time: 2:04.82. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali. 
Race 2: 1. Black Pearl (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Ifreet (Luca Maniezzi), 3. Rosasa (Ryan Curatolo), 4. Ajal (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: 1 ½, 4, 4 ¼. Time: 1:13.03. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 3: 1. Ennab (Ronan Thomas), 2. Muthhil (Theo Bachelot), 3. Al Wannah (Tomas Lukasek), 4. AJS Al Maha (Marcelian Kolmarkaj). Won by: ¼, 1 ½, 1 ½. Time: 1:46.25. Owner: Rakan Khames Abuzulf. Trainer: Majed Seifeddine.
Race 4: 1. Kasser (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 2. Al Mustafiz (Theo Bachelot), 3. Hazm Al Sulaimi (JP Guillambert), 4. Saab (Ronan Thomas). Won by: Nk, 1 ¼, 8 ½. Time: 1:18.28. Owner: Mohamed Ali Yousef al-Sheeb. Trainer: Mohamed Ali Yousef al-Sheeb.
Race 5: 1. Ebraz (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Chamekh (Ronan Thomas), 3. She’ris (Eduardo Pedroza), 4. Akmar (Al Moatasem al-Balushi). Won by: 1, 2 ¾, 1 ¼. Time: 2:01.65. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 6: 1. Al Shaman (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Veranda (Ronan Thomas), 3. Qatari Gold (Luca Maniezzi), 4. Al Adaid (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: ¾, 1, Nk. Time: 1:35.99. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 7: 1. Off He Goes (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Duke Of Dundee (Ronan Thomas), 3. Masterpiece (Theo Bachelot), 4. Otwo (Luca Maniezzi). Won by: No, ¾, 2 ¾. Time: 3:06.42. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 8: 1. Seeyoubyme (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Sam Langford (JP Guillambert), 3. Zamharer (Theo Bachelot), 4. Markhor (Luca Maniezzi). Won by: 1 ¼, Hd, Nk. Time: 2:04.65. Owner: Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik. Trainer: Deborah Mountain.
Race 9: 1. Ex Miss (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Star Of War (Adrie de Vries), 3. Romantic Heart (JP Guillambert), 4. Mahaarat (Alexander Reznikov). Won by: Nk, 2 ½, 1 ¾. Time: 2:05.66. Owner: Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik. Trainer: Ahmed Kobeissi