Tribune News Network
Doha
Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) will organise His Excellency’s Rifle Race Meeting on Saturday, 18 January. The event will take place on the turf track at Al Rayyan Racecourse, commencing at 11am and will feature 10 races.
The highlight of the day will be the 10th race, H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle. The winning horse of this race will earn a coveted spot in the Shalfa race during the H.H. The Amir Sword Festival, which will be held at Al Rayyan Racecourse in February and will attract significant international participation given its status as Qatar’s most prestigious equestrian festival.
In addition to the 10 races, the event will feature the final qualifiers to determine the champions of the traditional Al Sabiq races. Held during major events at QREC, this heritage racing event attracts a wide participation of outstanding Qatari riders.
Intense clash for Rifle
The day’s feature race, the H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle, a 2200m Class 1 contest for Thoroughbreds, will see some powerful and highly-rated horses compete for the title. Among the prominent entries is Simca Mille (Tamayuz x Swertia), owned by Wathnan Racing, who will be saddled by Alban de Mieulle, to defend his title from last year, and partnered by Maxime Guyon.
Challenging him is Haunted Dream (Oasis Dream x Red Halo), representing Wathnan Racing as well, but for trainer Hamad Al Jehani with James Doyle in the saddle. Also in the race is Aafoor (Qurbaan x Filfila), carrying the colours of Al Jeryan Stud, trained by M.H.K Al Attiyah and will be ridden by Szczepan Mazur. Aemilianus (Holy Roman Emperor x Assisi), owned by Sheikh Mohammed Salman Al-Thani and trained by Gassim Ghazali is another formidable challenger, who will be guided by Marco Casamento.
Other strong contenders include Inherent (Dubawi x Integral), owned and trained by Abdulaziz Ali A Al Kathiri, with Alberto Sanna aboard and Maraseem (Nathaniel x Why Not Queen), owned by Al Wasmiyah Farm and trained by Georges Mikhalides with Jefferson Smith riding. A number of other horses will also be aiming to defy the odds and take on the frontrunners for the title.
Prestigious trophies
The meeting features several races with prestigious trophies and cups. These include the Rifle race (the feature event), as well as the H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy, a Gr3 PA for Purebred Arabians over 2200m in the penultimate race. The H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for 4YO Purebred Arabians will be run over 1750m in Race 8 and, like Races 9 and 10, will carry a purse of $100,000. Purebred Arabians will also take on each other in an open 1750m race for another H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy and a purse of $50,000.
In Race 6, the H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy, a 1400m open race for Thoroughbreds, another $50,000 will be up for grabs. Race 5, the H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy, will feature Local Thoroughbreds racing over 1750m with a prize of $55,000.
In Race 4, 3YO Thoroughbreds will vie for over 1500m for the H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy, which carried a purse of $50,000. Race 3 will see Thoroughbred sprinters compete in a 1200m open contest for the H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy, offering a purse of $50,000.
The first two races in the card will carry a prize of $30,000 each. The opener will see promising maidens and debutants taking on each other to open their records in the 1750m Local Purebred Arabian Premium Maiden Plate. The following race, the Local Purebred Arabian Novice Cup, will be run over 1400m.
2024 Renewal
It is worth noting that last year’s renewal featured a series of thrilling races and His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani awarded the trophies in the two most prestigious events of the meeting.
The coveted H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle was claimed, in Wathnan Racing’s colours by Simca Mille. In the day’s penultimate race, Abbes (TM Fred Texas x Raqiyah) won the (Gr3 PA) H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for Purebred Arabians for Wathnan Racing as well.
The 2024 trophy presentation ceremony saw also the crowning of the first four placed riders in the traditional racing event, Al Sabiq, Saleh Salem Al Marri, Omar Ahmed Al Khayareen, Mohammed Kamaan Al Hajri and Abdulla Rashid Al Hajri.
