A thrilling pace in the Muaither Cup sprint brought to close the day’s meeting as Osama Omer al-Dafea’s Taxiwala chased down Injaaz Stud’s Izzthatright on the home straight for a scintillating victory at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
The turf feature for Thoroughbreds was the first time that the gelding had lined up for a five-furlong sprint, and under JP Guillambert, the bay son of Holy Roman Emperor upped the pace at the right moment as the duo edged out Michael Forest-ridden Izzthatright, who had led the affair since the start, by a neck for a thrilling victory.
In the only handicap run yesterday, Mohamed bin Fahad al-Attiyah’s Goldamer raced to his second straight victory in the mile long race for Arabians rated 95 and below.
With Soufiane Saadi in the saddle, the grey son of the prolific sire Amer, handed trainer Alban de Mieulle his 32nd victory of the season as the Frenchman consolidated his position at the top of the trainers’ championship.
Earlier yesterday, Qatari apprentice jockey Meteb Ali al-Marri bagged a double, guiding two Arabians to their maiden victories in cozy finishes.
In the local Arabian maiden race for the ladies, al-Marri was astride Owaida Salem al-Hajri-trained Ghanayem in the colours of Abdullah bin Ali bin Khalifa al-Attiyah and the duo had little trouble winning the 1,850m run by almost three lengths.
Later in the second running of the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate for horses aged 4-6 years old, the apprentice rider was on Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Hilona D’id. The Mohamed Hussain-trained filly brushed aside a couple of disappointing runs to enter the winner’s enclosure for the first time in her three-run short career.
In the first running of the mile-long maiden, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Jamaiel, who was out of depths in the course-and-distance outing in the Qatar Derby (Group 3 PA), registered her first career win on her fifth start. The Julian Smart ward was helmed by Tomas Lukasek to victory.
Another Qatari jockey to guide a winner yesterday was Saleh Salem al-Marri, who has now taken his season win tally to 17, with a fantastic ride astride Al Ghazali Stud’s AJS Al Aredh in the Arabian claiming race. The Majd Al Arab gelding, trained by Mohamed Jassim Ghazali, edged out a fast-improving Seddik by half-a-length.
Among the Thoroughbreds who shed their maiden statuses, were Al Ghazali Stud’s Thunderstone, the Ghazali ward that topped the card-opening six-furlong sprint under Guillambert, and Subaiya Awad Ibrahim’s Zelzal who was ridden to a sprint victory by Alberto Sanna.
Sanna returned to the winner’s enclosure astride Osama Omer al-Dafea’s Ginkeau who had held his own in the past in Group level contests. The five-year-old grey horse beat the twin threat of Michael Forest and his mount Zalej Al Cham and JP Guillambert ridden Maxr in the closing stages of the 2,200m race by one-and-a-half lengths.
Ghazali’s father, Jassim, saddled a winner too with Marco Casamento helming Jassem Mohamed al-Badi’s Qatar Gold to the five-year-old’s second career win in a seven-furlong local Thoroughbred novice run.
RESULTS
Race 1: THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (3 Year Olds) (Class 6) (Distance: 1,200m)
1. Thunderstone (JP Guillambert), 2. Shine That Light (Marco Casamento), 3. Al Ghariyah (Michael Forest), 4. US Cliff (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: ½, 5, No. Time: 1:12.37. Owner: Al Ghazali Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 2: LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Fillies & Mares) (4-6 year olds) (Distance: 1,850m)
1. Ghanayem (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 2. Valentina (Ghofrane Ghrissi), 3. Monati (Ivan Rossi), 4. Rahaf HA (Killian Leonard). Won by: 2 ¾, 1 ¾, ½. Time: 2:08.39. Owner: Abdullah bin Ali bin Khalifa al-Attiyah. Trainer: Owaida Salem al-Hajri.
Race 3: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED SPECIAL WEIGHT MAIDEN PLATE (3 & 4 Year Olds) (Distance: 1,200m)
1. Zelzal (Alberto Sanna), 2. Al Uraiq Navy (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Dreem Of Doha (Ivan Rossi), 4. Madarek (Saleh Salem al-Marri). Won by: 1 ¼, ½, ¼. Time: 1:14.90. Owner: Subaiya Awad Ibrahim. Trainer: Mohamed Khaled Elahmed.
Race 4: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED NOVICE PLATE (Distance: 1,400m)
1. Qatar Gold (Marco Casamento), 2. Dream Boy (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Nayer Bu Thaila (Alberto Sanna), 4. Al Hindi (JP Guillambert). Won by: ½, ½, 3 ¼. Time: 1:25.38. Owner: Jassem Mohamed al-Badi. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 5: PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Div 1) (4-6 year olds) (Distance: 1,600m)
1. Jamaiel (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Al Arabie (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Hadjira De Flauzins (Marco Casamento), 4. Tembel De Pine (Jason Watson). Won by: 2 ½, Nk, No. Time: 1:46.46. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 6: PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Div 2) (4-6 year olds) (Distance: 1,600m)
1. Hilona D’id (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 2. HM Al Bourak (Carlos Henrique), 3. Al Malhouf (Marco Casamento), 4. Saab Al Manal (Francois Herholdt). Won by: 3 ¾, 2, 2. Time: 1:45.27. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Hussain.
Race 7: PUREBRED ARABIAN CLAIMING RACE (60-90) (Distance: 1,400m)
1. AJS Al Aredh (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 2. Seddik (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 3. Zameer (JP Guillambert), 4. Nisal (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: ½, 2 ¼, 1. Time: 1:33.83. Owner: Al Ghazali Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 8: PUREBRED ARABIAN NOVICE PLATE (Distance: 2,200m)
1. Ginkeau (Alberto Sanna), 2. Zalej Al Cham (Michael Forest), 3. Maxr (JP Guillambert), 4. Jabir (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: 1 ½, Hd, 9 ¼. Time: 2:28.47. Owner: Osama Omer al-Dafea. Trainer: Osama Omer al-Dafea.
Race 9: PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP (95 & below) (Distance: 1,600m)
1. Goldamer (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Maghamir Des Forges (Marco Casamento), 3. Winne Taouy (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 4. Latam (Killian Leonard). Won by: ¾, 3 ¼, ½. Time: 1:44.76. Owner: Mohamed bin Fahad al-Attiyah. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 10: MUAITHER CUP (THOROUGHBREDS) (Distance: 1,000m)
1. Taxiwala (JP Guillambert), 2. Izzthatright (Michael Forest), 3. Zyzzyva (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Wonderwork (Ivan Rossi). Won by: Nk, 2 ½, 1 ¼. Time: 00:59.05. Owner: Osama Omer al-Dafea. Trainer: Osama Omer al-Dafea.
Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club Racing manager Abdulla Rashid al-Kubaisi (second from right) with the winners of Muaither Cup after Osama Omer al-Dafea’s Taxiwala won the 1,000m feature race at Al Rayyan Park yesterday. PICTURES: Juhaim
