Ibrahim al-Malki-trained X Force continued his fantastic run of results in Qatar as the Al Thumama Racing gelding landed the Muraikh Cup for Thoroughbreds at Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
In the 1100m sprint feature on dirt, Soufiane Saadi was astride the three-year-old bay horse yet again, like the last two outings, and the duo had little trouble going past Injaaz Stud’s Izzthatright in the final 100m to power their way to a hat-trick of wins this season.
Jason Watson guided Zuhair Mohsen-saddled Izzthatright to runner-up spot, more than two lengths behind the winner.
After missing out on a victory in the season opener, Ali Khalid al-Mosallam’s Leafy Moss has come into his own on the track with the Mohamed Jassim Ghazali trained-gelding going unbeaten in the last three outings.
The five-year-old, helmed by al-Mosallam himself in the last two starts, including yesterday, landed the Thoroughbred Handicap race for horses rated 70-90 with ease. Leafy Moss completed his hat-trick this season, winning the six-furlong sprint with four and a half lengths to spare.
The trainer-jockey combine returned to the winner’s enclosure for the second straight race as Al Ghazali Stud’s Dheban bagged the 1900m Thoroughbred Handicap race for horses rated 75-95.
In the penultimate race of the day, al-Mosallam and Dheban edged out Soufiane Saadi-ridden Ernest Aldrich by a neck.
Alberto Sanna and his mount Ennab had missed out on a victory on two earlier occasions this term. Yesterday, however, the Italian jockey and Majed Seifeddine’s ward managed to hold off a threatening challenge by Carlos Henrique ridden Tasslam despite the weight disadvantage to finally enter the winner’s enclosure. Ennab bagged the 1700m Purebred Arabian Handicap by a quarter-of-a-length.
Handler Mohamed Khaled Elahmed’s wards locked the top two spots in the Local Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 90 and below with Saif Rashid Saif al-Khayarin’s Wadhah winning the six furlong sprint with ease.
The victory yesterday that kept the filly unbeaten in her first two outings this season was under Luca Maniezzi as they beat Michael Forest-ridden Dhergham Bu Thaila by three-and-a-half lengths.
Qatari trainer Ibrahim al-Malki saddled two winners yesterday. Al Sakab Stud’s Al Faisaliya went one better than her last outing to top the Local Thoroughbred Novice Plate event under Francois Herholdt. The spectacularly dominant win saw the four-year-old win the 1700m run by a mammoth 21 lengths.
In the very next race, it was Soufiane Saadi who guided a winner for al-Malki, this time in the colours of Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi, as Sky Blue bagged the Local Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 75 and below. It was the gelding’s second career win and first this season.
Qatar apprentice rider Rashid Ali al-Marri is inching closer to his best season haul of 13 victories, bagging two straight wins to open the nine-race card yesterday.
Combining well with trainer Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani, al-Marri rode his seventh and eighth winner of the season. In the card-opener, the Thoroughbred Novice Plate, al-Marri rode Ibrahim Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani’s Skip The Queue to a dominant seven-length win in the 1100m sprint. He followed it up with a victory astride Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani’s Shaweesh with the Nizam colt topping the Purebred Arabian Novice Plate event over 1900m.

RESULTS
Race 1: THOROUGHBRED NOVICE PLATE (Class 5) (Distance: 1100m)
1. Skip The Queue (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 2. Life Of Riley (Ronan Thomas), 3. Barig Al Thumama (Carlos Henrique), 4. Doha Incanto (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: 7, 1 ¾, 3 ¾. Time: 1:04.83. Owner: Ibrahim Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani.
Race 2: PUREBRED ARABIAN NOVICE PLATE (Distance: 1900m)
1. Shaweesh (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 2. Maruf (Ronan Thomas), 3. Muthhil (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 4. Latam (Francois Herholdt). Won by: 1, 5 ¾, 3 ½. Time: 2:14.24. Owner: Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani.
Race 3: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED NOVICE PLATE (Distance: 1700m)
1. Al Faisaliya (Francois Herholdt), 2. Al Qamar (Alberto Sanna), 3. Al Khor Surprise (Soufiane Saadi), 4. Mansoor Al Zaeem (Mickael Berto). Won by: 21, 17, Dist. Time: 1:51.40. Owner: Al Sakab Stud. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 4: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (75 and below) (Distance: 1900m)
1. Sky Blue (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Dukhan (Luca Maniezzi), 3. Al Rayyan Park (Ronan Thomas), 4. Al Ayyar (Rashid Ali al-Marri). Won by: 1 ¼, 7 ½, ½. Time: 2:06.93. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 5: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (90 and below) (Distance: 1200m)
1. Wadhah (Luca Maniezzi), 2. Dhergham Bu Thaila (Michael Forest), 3. Admiral (Francois Herholdt), 4. Khoud (Rashid Ali al-Marri). Won by: 3 ½, 3 ¼, 5 ¼. Time: 1:13.14. Owner: Saif Rashid Saif al-Khayarin. Trainer: Mohamed Khaled Elahmed.
Race 6: PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP (90 and below) (Distance: 1700m)
1. Ennab (Alberto Sanna), 2. Tasslam (Carlos Henrique), 3. Al Junood (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 4. Khatafayanee (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: ¼, 5, 1 ½. Time: 2:00.05. Owner: Rakan Khames Abuzuif. Trainer: Majed Seifeddine.
Race 7: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 3) (70-90) (Distance: 1200m)
1. Leafy Moss (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 2. Zarandi (Carlos Henrique), 3. Cool Exhibit (Francois Herholdt), 4. Masked Defender (Saleh Salem al-Marri). Won by: 4 ½, ¼, 4 ¾. Time: 1:11.18. Owner: Ali Khalid al-Mosallam. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 8: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 3) (75-95) (Distance: 1900m)
1. Dheban (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 2. Ernest Aldrich (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Roman Legend (Marco Casamento), 4. Generalship (Tomas Lukasek). Time: 2:02.30. Owner: Al Ghazali Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 9: MURAIKH CUP (T/B) (Distance: 1100m)
1. X Force (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Izzthatright (Jason Watson), 3. Top Face (Carlos Henrique), 4. Receding Waves (Faleh Bughanaim). Time: 1:04.19. Owner: Al Thumama Racing. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.