His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Al Shaman won the first feature at the newly-opened Al Uqda Equestrian Complex when the Julian Smart ward landed The Late Abdul Aziz Al Fuhaid Cup in a close finish on Wednesday.

The 2,000m dirt feature for Class 2 Thoroughbreds saw the Tomas Lukasek-ridden seven-year-old, who ran well in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup (QA Group 2) last month finishing just outside the money, edge out Jassim Ghazali-saddled Almufti, ridden by Faleh Bughanaim by a quarter-of-a-length for an exciting win.

The meeting was only the second at the new complex north of Doha, near Al Khor, after a mini race meeting of sorts in January.

Marco Casamento rode three winners on Wednesday, including two Thoroughbred Handicap toppers and a maiden.

Injaaz Stud's Khafooq capped the treble for the jockey, when the Ghazali-trained gelding landed the 1100m sprint for horses rated 70-90. In a fine finish at the post, Khafooq registered his second victory this term under Casamento and fourth overall, winning by more than a length.

Half-an-hour earlier, Casamento was astride Khalifa bin Sheal al-Kuwari’s Luneray too when the Mohamed Hussain-schooled colt landed the mile-and-a-quarter handicap for horses rated 70-90.

In the 1,300m maiden run for Thoroughbreds, Casamento guided Jassim bin Ali al-Attiyah’s US Cliff, saddled by Ghazali, to the horse’s first career win by half-a-length.

Soufiane Saadi guided two winners on Wednesday, including Umm Qarn’s Maruf, who landed the penultimate race of the day — Purebred Arabian Handicap — and Subaiya Awad Ibrahim’s Rosasa, winner of a local Thoroughbred handicap.

A timely lunge at the post saw Alban de Mieulle-trained Maruf win the 2,000m Arabian handicap for horses rated 90 and above, edging out Bughanaim-ridden Bsheer, saddled by Hadi al-Ramzani, by a nose.

Rosasa’s win was a much more comfortable affair as the Mohamed Khaled Elahmed-trained mare won the 1,100m sprint by two-and-a-half lengths.

Qatari jockey Meteb Ali al-Marri bettered his last year's winning tally when he guided his 11th winner of the season on Wednesday. The apprentice jockey was astride Hossin Ashour-trained Myboyhenry in the colours of Khalid Abdulaziz al-Kuwari in the 2000m Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 75 and below on Wednesday. The gelding won for the first time in three years and for the first time in Qatar.

Earlier in the day, Alberto Sanna guided Mansoor Mesfer al-Hajri’s Al Addaaj to the five-year-old’s second career win when they topped the Local Purebred Arabian Novice Plate event in the nine-race card opener.

Next up in the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate event, it was Anas al-Seyabi that was astride the winner, Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Rafeeat Al Shan. The Qatar-bred mare topped the 1,100m run on dirt by a little more than two lengths.

 

RESULTS

Race 1: LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN NOVICE PLATE (Distance: 1,100m)

1. Al Addaaj (Alberto Sanna), 2. Al Mahyoub (Marco Casamento), 3. Fanann (Carlos Henrique), 4. Seddik (Qais al-Busaidi). Won by: ½, ½, Shd. Time: 1:12.09. Owner: Mansoor Mesfer al-Hajri. Trainer: Mansoor Mesfer al-Hajri.

Race 2: PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (4-6yo) (Distance: 1,100m)

1. Rafeeat Al Shan (Anas al-Seyabi), 2. Sukaar (Khalid al-Balushi), 3. Tamih (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 4. Al Himayah (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 2 ¼, 4 ¾, 9 ¼. Time: 1:10.16. Owner: Saad Rabiah Saad al-Kaabi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.

Race 3: THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (Distance: 1,300m)

1. US Cliff (Marco Casamento), 2. Shine That Light (Ronan Thomas), 3. Rogue Nation (Anas al-Seyabi), 4. Creativity (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: ½, 1, 4. Time: 1:17.64. Owner: Jassim bin Ali al-Attiyah. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.

Race 4: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (80 & below) (Distance: 1,100m)

1. Rosasa (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Sly Fly (Qais al-Busaidi), 3. Al Uraiq Weapon (Abdelhakim Lemsoukes), 4. Dalal Al Brooq (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: 2 ½, 2 ½, 1 ¼. Time: 1:05.43. Owner: Subaiya Awad Ibrahim. Trainer: Mohamed Khaled Elahmed.

Race 5: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 5) (75 & below) (Distance: 2,000m)

1. Myboyhenry (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 2. Al Modajal (Ronan Thomas), 3. Thiago (Alberto Sanna), 4. Al Mujahaz (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 2 ½, Hd, 1 ¾. Time: 2:05.06. Owner: Khalid Abdulaziz al-Kuwari. Trainer: Hossin Ashour.

Race 6: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 3) (70-90) (Distance: 2,000m)

1. Luneray (Marco Casamento), 2. Third World (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Roman Legend (Ronan Thomas), 4. Massam (Anas al-Seyabi). Won by: 2, ¾, 2, Time: 2:05.69. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Hussain.

Race 7: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 3) (70-90) (Distance: 1,100m)

1. Khafooq (Marco Casamento), 2. Doha Incanto (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 3. Lauded (Anas al-Seyabi), 4. Catch A Wave (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 1 ¼, ¼, Nk. Time: 1:04.67. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.

Race 8: PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP (90 & below) (Distance: 2,000m)

1. Maruf (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Bsheer (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. AJS Al Moheeb (Ronan Thomas), 4. Winne Taouy (Rashid Ali al-Marri). Won by: No, 3, ½. Time: 2:15:45. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.

Race 9: THE LATE ABDUL AZIZ AL FUHAID CUP (Class 2 THOROUGHBREDS) (Distance: 2,000m)

1. Al Shaman (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Almufti (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Pedro Cara (Ivan Rossi), 4. Sam Langford (Carlos Henrique). Won by: ¼, 2, 1. Time: 2:03.63. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.