Doha, 18 March 2021 - Handler Hamad al-Jehani closed out the Mesaimeer Cup day at Al Rayyan Park with a double, including Saeed Nasser al-Qadi-owned feature winner Zarandi.
Zarandi had finished outside the top five behind winner Al Shaman when the two had last lined up for the same start two weeks ago at Al Uqda Equestrian Complex near Al Khor. Wednesday, the two, however, were involved in a close battle for supremacy, one which Soufiane Saadi-ridden Zarandi won by a neck as Tomas Lukasek helmed Julian Smart-saddled Al Shaman to runner-up spot.
In the penultimate race of the day, it was Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani’s Shaweesh who entered the winner’s enclosure with an Arabian handicap victory under Saleh Salem al-Marri.
Qatari jockeys had a great day in office having won five out of the 10 races on the card on Wednesday, including doubles for al-Marri and Abdulaziz Jaber Dharman.
Win astride Shaweesh was al-Marri’s 19th winner this term. In the 1,900m victory, Shaweesh won with two lengths to spare winning in front of Bsheer, also ridden by a Qatari rider — Faleh Bughanaim.
Al-Marri first guided Khalid Abdulaziz al-Kuwari’s Madaya, trained Zuhair Mohsen, to the six-year-old’s first career victory in the 1,100m local Arabian maiden sprint.
Dharman was astride winners in the two legs of the Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 80 and below, which were reserved for Qatari riders.
In the first leg, he guided Jassim Ghazali-trained Gold Fleece in the colours of Nasser Saeed al-Eida to an easy win, topping the 1,900m affair by almost six lengths, with Salman Fahad al-Hajri riding Arrow to second place.
In the second leg, Dharman entered the winner’s enclosure astride another Ghazali ward, Al Modajal, but this time in the colours of Jassem Mohamed al-Badi.
The day’s first race was landed by Rashid Ali al-Marri’s Hazm Al Uraiq as the owner-cum-rider guided Ali al-Marri-trained five-year-old to a local Thoroughbred maiden sprint victory.
Besides Al Modajal and Gold Fleece, Ghazali had one more winner on Wednesday. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Divine Princess shed her maiden status in a 1,900m Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate event, leading a one-two for the famous royal blue and white stars silks with Francois Herholdt guiding Smart-saddled Salsabeel to runner-up finish.
Owner-trainer Osama Omer al-Dafea celebrated two Thoroughbred Handicap winners on Wednesday including Izzer and Rock Bottom. While Izzer was helmed by Anas al-Seyabi in the 1,100m sprint for horses rated 75 and below, Sanna was astride Rock Bottom in the second leg of the same race half an hour later.
In a scintillating victory later in the day, Sheikh Khalid bin Jassim bin Thani al-Thani’s Massam dominated the Thoroughbred Handicap race for horses rated 90 and below, with the Ibrahim al-Malki-trained gelding landing the 1,900m affair by seven-and-a-half lengths.
RESULTS
Race 1: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (Distance: 1,100m)
1. Hazm Al Uraiq (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 2. Umm Thaga (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 3. Elaaf (Alberto Sanna), 4. Adaam Bu Thaila (Qais al-Busaidi). Won by: 1 ¼, 5 ¾, 1 ½. Time: 1:06.50. Owner: Rashid Ali Mohamed al-Saaq al-Marri. Trainer: Ali al-Marri.
Race 2: LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Distance: 1,100m)
1. Madaya (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 2. Sukaar (Khalid al-Balushi), 3. Al Mahyoub (Alberto Sanna), 4. Salaah (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: 2 ¾, 1 ½, 1 ¾. Time: 1:12.28. Owner: Khalid Abdulaziz al-Kuwari. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen.
Race 3: PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Fillies & Mares) (4-6-year-old) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Divine Princess (Marco Casamento), 2. Salsabeel (Francois Herholdt), 3. Badira (JP Guillambert), 4. Cocktail Du Loup (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: 1 ½, ½, 5 ¾. Time: 2:14.12. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 4: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 5) (Qatari Riders Only) (Division 1) (80 & below) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Gold Fleece (Abdulaziz Jaber Dharman), 2. Arrow (Salman Fahad al-Hajri), 3. Immoral (Meshaal Abdlatif al-Mohannadi), 4. Al Mikdam (Rashid Ali al-Marri). Won by: 5 ¾, Hd, ¾. Time: 2:02.08. Owner: Nasser Saeed al-Eida. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 5: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 5) (Division 1) (75 & below) (Distance: 1,100m)
1. Izzer (Anas al-Seyabi), 2. Villains Voice (Alberto Sanna), 3. Tuff Rock (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 4. Bariq Al Thumama (Carlos Henrique). Won by: 1 ½, 2, 1 ½. Time: 1:04.40. Owner: Osama Omer al-Dafea. Trainer: Osama Omer al-Dafea.
Race 6: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 5) (Division 2) (75 & below) (Distance: 1,100m)
1. Rock Bottom (Alberto Sanna), 2. My Kinda Day (Ivan Rossi), 3. Royal Court (Khalid al-Balushi), 4. Creativity (JP Guillambert). Won by: Shd, 2 ½, 2 ½. Time: 1:04.97. Owner: Osama Omer al-Dafea. Trainer: Osama Omer al-Dafea.
Race 7: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 5) (Qatari Riders Only) (Division 2) (80 & below) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Al Modajal (Abdulaziz Jaber Dharman), 2. Wakeel (Meshaal Abdlatif al-Mohannadi), 3. Message (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 4. Al Mujahaz (Saad Turki al-Dosari). Won by: 1 ¼, ¾, 1 ¾. Time: 2:01.86. Owner: Jassem Mohamed al-Badi. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 8: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 4) (90 & below) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Massam (Anas al-Seyabi), 2. Ernest Aldrich (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 3. Huwaiteb (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Luneray (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 7 ½, 2, 3 ¾. Time: 1:58.97. Owner: Sheikh Khalid bin Jassim bin Thani al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 9: PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP (90 & below) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Shaweesh (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 2. Bsheer (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. AJS Al Moheeb (JP Guillambert), 4. Mountasir (Qais al-Busaidi). Won by: 2, 2 ¾, ½. Time: 2:13.52. Owner: Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: Hamad al-Jehani.
Race 10: MESAIMEER CUP (THOROUGHBREDS (Class 2)) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Zarandi (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Al Shaman (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Shakour (Marco Casamento), 4. Qatari Gold (Ronan Thomas). Won by: Nk, 3, ½. Time: 2:00.75. Owner: Saeed Nasser al-Qadi. Trainer: Hamad al-Jehani.
