Nasser Saeed al-Eida’s Return To Senders landed the Umm Al Afai Cup sprint on a spectacular day for Qatari jockeys, who rode seven out of 10 winners, and the colours of Injaaz Stud at Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
Return to Senders, helmed by JP Guillambert, held off Ivan Rossi-ridden Shobrom and Faleh Bughanaim-guided Chattanooga Bay, both wards of Ahmed Kobeissi to enter the winner’s enclosure for the first time this season despite a promising run of results. In the process, handler Jassim Mohamed Ghazali completed a hat-trick of wins yesterday.
Earlier, Ghazali and his son, Mohamed, saddled two winners each for Injaaz Stud.
In the penultimate race of the day, Ali Khalid al-Mosallam rode the versatile Lekhraib, saddled by Ghazali junior, to the seven-year-old’s fourth win in six outings in the six-furlong Purebred Arabian Conditions sprint. The win capped an impressive day in office for the Qatari apprentice rider, who registered three victories taking his season’s tally to 16. 
Hamad al-Jehani-trained I Am Thunder was the first winner of the evening for al-Mosallam in the six-furlong Thorougbred maiden, while Abdulaziz Hamad al-Marri’s Lama was the second when the mare landed the six-furlong local Arabian sprint.
Another Qatari apprentice jockey, Saleh Salem al-Marri, too took his season’s victory tally to 16 with two winners yesterday, including Injaaz Stud’s Muthhil, trained by Ghazali senior, in the Purebred Arabian Handicap for horses rated 80 and below. Al-Marri started his day with a win astride Rashid al-Jehani-trained Stam Al Naif in the colours of Khalid Rashid al-Mohannadi, in the six-furlong local Arabian novice race. The nine-year-old horse picked up a fine win, entering the winner’s circle after more than three-and-a-half years.
Another Ghazali senior ward, Khafooq, was ridden to victory by Marco Casamento in the Injaaz colours in the six-furlong Thoroughbred Handicap sprint. The spectacular win saw Khafooq win by a mammoth six lengths.
Rodeyna was ridden to local Thoroughbred handicap victory by Guillambert in Injaaz colours.
Hamad al-Jehani also saddled Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani’s Jurz in the Thoroughbred Handicap run for Qatari riders. Jurz had Meshaal Abdlatif al-Mohannadi as his partner, and the jockey showed promise winning on only his second career outing.
Al-Mohannadi had debuted astride runner-up Noble Ancestry in the first running of the Thoroughbred handicap yesterday even as Rashid Ali al-Marri helmed Better Than Ever to a scintillating six-and-a-half length victory in the 1,900m run.


RESULTS
Race 1: LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN NOVICE PLATE (Distance: 1,200m)
1. Stam Al Naif (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 2. Ghannam (Alberto Sanna), 3. Texas (Soufiane Saadi), 4. Inqath (Ivan Rossi). Won by: 1 ½, Shd, 2 ¼. Time: 1:20.89. Owner: Khalid Rashid al-Mohannadi. Trainer: Rashid al-Jehani.
Race 2: THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (Class 6) (Distance: 1,200m)
1. I Am Thunder (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 2. Swagger (Marco Casamento), 3. Villain’s Voice (Jason Watson), 4. Flirty Rascal (Rashid Ali al-Marri). Won by: 2 ¾, 4 ¼, 5 ½. Owner: Yousuf Mubarak al-Kuwari. Trainer: Hamad al-Jehani.
Race 3: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 5) (QATARI RIDERS ONLY) (Div 1) (70 & below) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Better Than Ever (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 2. Noble Ancestry (Meshaal Abdlatif al-Mohannadi), 3. Comrade In Arms (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Detox (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: 6 ½, 1 ¾, 3 ¾. Time: 2:03.61. Owner: Rashid bin Mubarak al-Jafali al-Naimi. Trainer: Majed Seifeddine.
Race 4: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 5) (QATARI RIDERS ONLY) (Div 2) (70 & below) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Jurz (Meshaal Abdlatif al-Mohannadi), 2. Pinatar (Abdulla Saleh al-Yafei), 3. Angelic Queen (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 4. Vidiyni (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: ¾, 1 ¼, 1 ¼. Time: 2:05.77. Owner: Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: Hamad al-Jehani.
Race 5: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 4) (80 & below) (Distance: 1,200m)
1. Khafooq (Marco Casamento), 2. Superior Moment (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Inde (Michael Forest), 4. Shellbrook (Saleh Salem al-Marri). Won by: 6, 2, 1 ¼. Time: 1:11.84. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 6: PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP (80 & below) (Distance: 1,700m)
1. Muthhil (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 2. Anees (Marco Casamento), 3. Tasslam (Carlos Henrique), 4. Mister General (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam). Won by: 2, 1, 1 ¼. Time: 2:00.97. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 7: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (85 & below) (Distance: 1,700m)
1. Rodeyna (JP Guillambert), 2. Sarmad Bu Thaila (Killian Leonard), 3. Maksab (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Tilal (Marco Casamento). Won by: 4 ¼, 6 ¼, ½. Time: 1:51.89. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 8: LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIANS (Fillies & Mares) (4yo & older) (Distance: 1,200m)
1. Lama (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 2. Qoot (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 3. RS Rasheeda (Carlos Henrique), 4. Harab Al Naif (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: 2 ¾, 3 ½, 3 ¼. Time: 1:20.03. Owner: Abdulaziz Hamad Ateeq al-Marri. Trainer: Abdulaziz Hamad al-Marri.
Race 9: PUREBRED ARABIAN CONDITIONS (Distance: 1,200m)
1. Lekhraib (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 2. Ateej (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Baker De Saularie (Ghofrane Ghrissi), 4. Shabih Alreeh (Michael Forest). Won by: 5, Nk, 10. Time: 1:17.85. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 10: UMM AL AFAI CUP (T/B HANDICAP 75 - 95) (Distance: 1,100m)
1. Return To Senders (JP Guillambert), 2. Shobrom (Ivan Rossi), 3. Chattanooga Bay (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Leafy Moss (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam). Won by: 1 ½, 1 ½, ½. Time: 1:04.73. Owner: Nasser Saeed al-Eida. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
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