Doha, 22 October 2020 - Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Shakour was the first winner of the season for trainer Zuhair Mohsen and jockey JP Guillambert when they landed the Wathnan Cup at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday. The 1800m Thoroughred Handicap for horses rated 70-90 was the feature on dirt yesterday.
Guillambert was astride the colt for the five-year-old’s second victory this year, and the duo won by a little less than three lengths when they beat Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Ernest Aldrich, helmed by Soufiane Saadi, at the post. Alberto Sanna and his partner Georges Mikhalides-trained Star Of War had to settle for third.
In the penultimate race yesterday, Al Shaqab Racing’s Maiuf was the second winner on the day saddled by Qatar-based Frenchman Alban de Mieulle.
De Mieulle had a maiden winner in the opening event of the eight-race card when Umm Qarn colt Abahat won under Ronan Thomas.
Later in the evening, in the Purebred Arabian Handicap for horses rated 105 and below, Thomas was once again astride the winner, with the TM Fred Texas colt holding off a threatening challenge from rivals Baker De Saularie, ridden by Alberto Sanna, and Winne Taouy, with Carlos Henrique in the saddle, by half-a-length.
Qatari riders put together a good set of results with Rashid Ali al-Marri and Saleh Salem al-Marri picking up three victories between themselves yesterday. The former rode his second winner of the season when he guided Abdullah Mohamed al-Kuwari and Sons’ Shellbrook to the gelding’s second straight victory in as many weeks.
Jassim Mohamed Ghazali-trained four-year-old, who won a maiden last week under Saleh Salem al-Marri, won the Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 75 and below handsomely with four-and-a-half lengths to spare yesterday.
Earlier in the day, Saleh Salem al-Marri rode two maiden winners, both from Ghazali’s yard — Nasser Saeed al-Eida’s Gold Fleece and Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Qatar-bred Muthhil.
Mohamed Khaled Elahmed-trained Wadhah was another Thoroughbred to win a handicap, the filly’s first victory in a year. Luca Maniezzi, riding in the colours of Saif Rashid Saif al-Khayarin, gave the four-year-old a fantastic ride in the six-furlong Local Thoroughbred Handicap sprint as they won by a little more than four lengths.
Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Joudy too won the Purebred Arabian Handicap by a similar margin with Alberto Sanna in the saddle for the filly’s first career win. Georges Mikhalides’ ward topped the six-furlong sprint, her ninth start.
RESULTS
Race 1: PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (4 YEAR OLDS ONLY)
1. Abahat (Ronan Thomas), 2. Bakie (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Al Addaaj (Alberto Sanna), 4. Wardan Al Hashm (Rashid Ali al-Marri). Won by: ½, ¾, 1 ¼. Time: 2:03.62. Owner Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 2: THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (Class 6)
1. Gold Fleece (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 2. Tafaahum (JP Guillambert), 3. Deco Boy (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Forneus (Adnan Hawa). Won by: 3, ¼, 3 ¾. Time: 1:50.34. Owner: Nasser Saeed al-Eida. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali
Race 3: PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE
1. Muthhil (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 2. Razad (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Umm Bab (Ronan Thomas), 4. Deemah (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: 1 ½, 7 ½, 2 ¾. Time: 2:00.05. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 4: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 5) (75 & below) (QATARI
RIDERS ONLY)
1: Shellbrook (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 2. Leafy Moss (Abdulla Mubarak al-Maadeed), 3. Third World (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 4. Golden Parade (Abdulaziz Jaber Dharman). Won by: 4 ½, 3 ½, 2 ¾. Time: 1:11.41. Owner: Abdullah Mohamed al-Kuwari & Sons. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 5: PUREBRED ARABIAN
HANDICAP
1. Joudy (Alberto Sanna), 2. Faadi (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Forgehill Chiraz (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 4. Anees (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam). Won by: 4 ¼, ½, ½. Time: 1:19.55. Owner: Al Wasmiyah Farm. Trainer: Georges Mikhalides.
Race 6: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (80 & below)
1. Wadhah (Luca Maniezzi), 2. Attaf (JP Guillambert), 3. Majhool Al Zaeem (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 4. Rosasa (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 4 ¼, ¾, No. Time: 1:13.47. Owner: Saif Rashid Saif al-Khayarin. Trainer: Mohamed Khaled Elahmed.
Race 7: PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP (105 & below)
1. Maiuf (Ronan Thomas), 2. Baker De Saularie (Alberto Sanna), 3. Winne Taouy (Carlos Henrique), 4. Latam (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: ½, ¾, 6 ¼. Time: 2:13.00. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 8: WATHNAN CUP (THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (CLASS 3) 70 – 90)
1. Shakour (JP Guillambert), 2. Ernest Aldrich (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Star Of War (Alberto Sanna), 4. Braemar (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: 2 ¾, 3 ¾, 2. Time: 1:54.58. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen.
