Al Shaqab Racing and trainer Alban de Mieulle celebrated a fantastic lockout of the first two spots in the Umm Bab Cup at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday. The turf feature for Purebred Arabians saw Al Naama win ahead of stablemate Gtnah in thrilling fashion.
Al Naama stayed on the rails under Soufiane Saadi coming out of Gate 2 behind early leader Evolution Du Croate while Ronan Thomas and his mount Gtnah were further back on the outside after starting widest in 10.
Coming off the final bend, the pace quickened and Saadi took the advantage inside the final furlong, while Thomas egged Gtnah on and she responded to go past the rest of the field on the outside, running out of real estate at the post.
Alberto Sanna was astride Osama Omer al-Dafea’s Ginkeau in third.
Trainer Stefano Ibido’s first winner of the season was Dominus, who has shown promise since his arrival from the UK late last year.
The four-year-old had finished in the money thrice out of his four runs in Qatar coming into yesterday’s conditions event for Thoroughbreds, and with Luca Maniezzi in the saddle, the Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri owned colt picked up yet another comfortable win, topping the seven-furlong run on turf with one-and-a-half lengths to spare on the competition.
Tomas Lukasek bagged his first win of the season yesterday astride Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Think Big in comfortable fashion. The duo had combined for a course and distance victory back in February, winning the HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy.
Yesterday, Georges Mikhalides’ ward went past the post with almost four lengths to spare.
Sanna rode two winners on the day.
Mohamed Hamad al-Attiyah-trained Damon Runyon was in a league of his own in the Thoroughbred Novice event as a fantastic ride by Sanna in the colours of Al Murtages Racing Syndicate saw the gelding win the miler by a whopping six lengths.
The Italian jockey’s second winner was Injaaz Stud’s Dalilak, who made a successful handicap debut to shed his maiden status.
Largely unexposed, Mohamed Riyaz’s ward had a runner up finish over course and distance last December. Yesterday, in the mile-long Local Purebred Arabian Handicap for horses rated 85 and below, Dalilak edged out Meteb Ali al-Marri-ridden Haddaj Dukhan by almost a length.
Soufiane Saadi’s partnership with Al Bida Racing’s Jabalaly shone yet again as the two raced to their second straight victory, this time in a handicap for Thoroughbreds rated 90 and below.
The result also meant that Qatari trainer Ibrahim al-Malki’s wards locked out the top two spots in the mile-long run, with Hessdalen finishing a length behind the winner under Francois Herholdt.
Earlier in the day, Killian Leonard raced his first winner in Qatar guiding Mohamed Nasser al-Naimi’s Veverka Py to a Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate event win before helping complete a one-two sweep for Al Jeryan Stud, behind Alexander Reznikov-ridden AJS Beirut in the Local Purebred Arabians event for three-year-old fillies. Leonard was astride another debutante AJS Berline who finished a promising second in the seven-furlong run.
RESULTS
Race 1: PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE
1. Veverka Py (Killian Leonard), 2. Fahd De Faust (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 3. Mister General (Eduardo Pedroza), 4. Eau De Feu (Ronan Thomas). Won by: Shd, 5 ½, 3. Time: 1:43.89. Owner: Mohamed Nasser al-Naimi. Trainer: Mohamed Nasser al-Naimi.
Race 2: LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIANS (3-Year-Old Fillies Only)
1. AJS Beirut (Alexander Reznikov), 2. AJS Berline (Killian Leonard), 3. Sabhat Al Ammar (Carlos Henrique), 4. Bushaara (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: ¼, 7 ½, 1. Time: 1:34.22. Owner: Al Jeryan Stud. Trainer: Rashid al-Ali.
Race 3: THOROUGHBRED NOVICE PLATE (Class 5)
1. Damon Runyon (Alberto Sanna), 2. Moheet (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Al Mujahaz (Ronan Thomas), 4. Veranda (Luca Maniezzi). Won by: 6, ¼, Shd. Time: 1:34.09. Owner: Al Murtages Racing Syndicate. Trainer: Mohamed Hamad al-Attiyah.
Race 4: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 4) (90 & below)
1. Jabalaly (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Hessdalen (Francois Herholdt), 3. On The Line (JP Guillambert), 4. Saint Roch (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 1, ¾, 2. Time: 1:34.85. Owner: Al Bida Racing. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 5: LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP
1. Dalilak (Alberto Sanna), 2. Haddaj Dukhan (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 3. Ghazi Al Jeryan (Killian Leonard), 4. Rajab (Luca Maniezzi). Won by: ¾, 1 ¼, 3 ½. Time: 1:47.98. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Riyaz
Race 6: THOROUGHBRED PLATE (3 Year Olds) (Class 2)
1. Think Big (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Taxiwala (Eduardo Pedroza), 3. Fuwayrit (Soufiane Saadi), 4. Franklin Street (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 3 ¾, 1, 2 ½. Time: 1:22.53. Owner: Al Wasmiyah Farm. Trainer: Georges Mikhalides.
Race 7: THOROUGHBRED CONDITIONS (Class 2)
1. Dominus (Luca Maniezzi), 2. Extremis (Alberto Sanna), 3. Receding Waves (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Crafted (Francois Herholdt). Won by: 1 ½, Nk, ¾. Time: 1:22.07. Owner: Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri. Trainer: Stefano Ibido.
Race 8: UMM BAB CUP (PUREBRED ARABIANS)
1. Al Naama (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Gtnah (Ronan Thomas), 3. Ginkeau (Alberto Sanna), 4. Evolution Du Croate (JP Guillambert). Won by: 1 ¼, 1 ½, Shd. Time: 1:43.08. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club Racing manager Mohamed Khalid al-Khalifa (right) with the winners of the Umm Bab Cup after Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Naama won the feature at Al Rayyan Park yesterday. PICTURES: Juhaim
