Tribune News Network
DOHA
AJS Wathanan provided a delightful and sustained run under Marco Casamento, bagging the Gharafa Cup race, the feature event of the 10th Race Meeting, with a neck victory over Akmar on Thursday.
Right from the start, the experienced seven-year-old grey gelding struck to the railing and controlled the race with appreciable front-running. Diese chased him first but faded after the final bend, leaving way for Caid De L’Ardus to contest the Al Ghazali Stud runner.
On the home stretch when the two were battling hard, Akmar, ridden by Soufiane Saadi, passed the Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari’s horse Caid De L’Ardus and emerged as the new challenger.
However, there was not enough time for the Hadi al Ramzani ward, who was looking for a hat-trick of wins. AJS Wathanan, a Jassim Ghazali trainee, continued to power along and managed to hold off the Mohammed al Naimi-owned Akmar by neck to post his second winner in a row. This effort lifted his overall record to seven in 25 starts.
Caid De L’Ardus, another trainee of Ghazali, was ridden to third by JP Guillambert by little under three lengths. Dabbab was fourth (Ronan Thomas) and Prince Amer, the third trainee of Ghazali in the race, rounded out the top five, with Harry Bentley astride.
The meeting was special for Ghazali, who ended up with three winners. Casamento earlier guided Perigee to a superb victory in the Thoroughbred Handicap (Class 3) 1,700m, beating High Commander, ridden by Al Moatasem al Balushi. Bluebeard, under Pierantonio Convertino, was third.
This was the second winner in a row for Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari’s six-year-old bay colt, pushing his overall tally to five in 27 races. High Commander, trained also by Ghazali, was contesting his first race of the season.
Barbarous Relic, ridden by Guillambert, clinched the first winner for trainer Ghazali when the six-year-old gelding won his very opening race of the season, ending his long wait for the success. The Hamad bin Abdulrahman al Attiya-owned horse was winless last term despite running in nine races. It was his second victory in 25 races over six seasons.
Palmetto Dunes, with a double winner Ryan Curatolo on the back, resisted Barbarous Relic spiritedly but fell a bit short in the end, losing just by short head.
Curatolo earlier struck twice in the day. First, he guided Umm Qarn’s Aaila to victory by over three lengths against Al Sabba in the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate (Fillies and Mares) 1,700m. For the Alban de Mieulle’s trainee Aaila, it was the first win in five races, though it was the first run of the season for the four-year-old bay runner.
Chabha was third.10th Race Meeting (dirt)
LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN NOVICE PLATE (1,200m) Prize Money: QR 45,000 (1st 25,650 2nd 9,900 3rd 4,950): 1. Nashmi Brooq (Meteb Ali al Marri (-5kg), 2. Dalal Brooq (Rashid Ali al Marri (-3kg), 3. Ghazi Al Jeryan (Soufiane Saadi); Won by 0.75, 0.75. Time 1:22.16; Owner: Brooq Stud. Trainer: Hamad al Marri
PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Fillies & Mares) 1,700m: Prize Money: QR 45,000 (1st 25,650 2nd 9,900 3rd 4,950): 1. Aaila (Ronan Thomas), 2. Al Sabba (Ivan Rossi), 3. Chabha (Soufiane Saadi)
Won by 3.25, 1.5. Time 2:05.90
Owner: Umm Qarn Trainer: Alban de Mieulle
LOCAL THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (1,200m): Prize Money: QR 45,000 (1st 25,650 2nd 9,900 3rd 4,950): 1. Rosasa (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Dalal Al Brooq (Meteb Ali al Marri (-5kg), 3. Doha Surprise (Eduardo Pedroza); Won by 5.75, 7.75. Time 1:15.43
Owner: Mrs Subaiya Awad Ibrahim. Trainer: Mohammed Khaled Elahmed
THOROUGHBRED GRADUATION PLATE Class 5 (1,000m) Prize Money: QR 50,000 (1st 28,500 2nd 11,000 3rd 5,500): 1. Izzer (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Life Of Riley (Ronan Thomas), 3. Regality (Marco Casamento); Won by 5, 2.5. Time 1:00.71.
Owner and Trainer: Eng Osama Omer al Dafea.
THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP Class 5 (1,800m)
Prize Money: QR 50,000 (1st 28,500 2nd 11,000 3rd 5,500): 1. Barbarous Relic (JP Guillambert), 2. Palmetto Dunes (Ryan Curatolo), 3. Al Mikdam (Tomas Lukasek)
Won by short head, 4.75. Time 1:59.17;
Owner: Hamad bin Abdulrahman al Attiya. Trainer: Jassim Mohammad Ghazali
THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP Class 4 (1,200m)
Prize Money: QR55,000 (1st 31,350 2nd 12,100 3rd 6,050): 1. Shaheen (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. French Encore (Saleh Salem al Marri (-5kg), 3. Thorndyke (Gary Sanchez (-5kg) Won by 3.75, short head; Owner: Al Shqab Racing. Trainer: Ibrahim Saeed al Malki
THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP Class 3 (1,700m)
Prize Money: QR 60,000 (1st 34,200 2nd 13,200 3rd 6,600): 1. Perigee (Marco Casamento), 2. High Commander (Al Moatasem al Balushi), 3. Bluebeard (Pierantonio Convertino); Won by 3, 0.5. Time 1:50.79; Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali
AL GHARAFA CUP (1,800m)
Prize Money: QR 100,000 (1st 57,000 2nd 22,000 3rd 11,000 4th 6,000 5th 4,000): 1. AJS Wathanan (Marco Casamento), 2. Akmar (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Caid De L’Ardus (JP Guillambert), 4. Dabaab (Ronan Thomas), 5. Prince Amer (Harry Bentley); Won by neck, 2.75, 8.25, 2.75. Time 2:08.48; Owner: Al Ghazali Stud. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali
DOHA
AJS Wathanan provided a delightful and sustained run under Marco Casamento, bagging the Gharafa Cup race, the feature event of the 10th Race Meeting, with a neck victory over Akmar on Thursday.
Right from the start, the experienced seven-year-old grey gelding struck to the railing and controlled the race with appreciable front-running. Diese chased him first but faded after the final bend, leaving way for Caid De L’Ardus to contest the Al Ghazali Stud runner.
On the home stretch when the two were battling hard, Akmar, ridden by Soufiane Saadi, passed the Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari’s horse Caid De L’Ardus and emerged as the new challenger.
However, there was not enough time for the Hadi al Ramzani ward, who was looking for a hat-trick of wins. AJS Wathanan, a Jassim Ghazali trainee, continued to power along and managed to hold off the Mohammed al Naimi-owned Akmar by neck to post his second winner in a row. This effort lifted his overall record to seven in 25 starts.
Caid De L’Ardus, another trainee of Ghazali, was ridden to third by JP Guillambert by little under three lengths. Dabbab was fourth (Ronan Thomas) and Prince Amer, the third trainee of Ghazali in the race, rounded out the top five, with Harry Bentley astride.
The meeting was special for Ghazali, who ended up with three winners. Casamento earlier guided Perigee to a superb victory in the Thoroughbred Handicap (Class 3) 1,700m, beating High Commander, ridden by Al Moatasem al Balushi. Bluebeard, under Pierantonio Convertino, was third.
This was the second winner in a row for Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari’s six-year-old bay colt, pushing his overall tally to five in 27 races. High Commander, trained also by Ghazali, was contesting his first race of the season.
Barbarous Relic, ridden by Guillambert, clinched the first winner for trainer Ghazali when the six-year-old gelding won his very opening race of the season, ending his long wait for the success. The Hamad bin Abdulrahman al Attiya-owned horse was winless last term despite running in nine races. It was his second victory in 25 races over six seasons.
Palmetto Dunes, with a double winner Ryan Curatolo on the back, resisted Barbarous Relic spiritedly but fell a bit short in the end, losing just by short head.
Curatolo earlier struck twice in the day. First, he guided Umm Qarn’s Aaila to victory by over three lengths against Al Sabba in the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate (Fillies and Mares) 1,700m. For the Alban de Mieulle’s trainee Aaila, it was the first win in five races, though it was the first run of the season for the four-year-old bay runner.
Chabha was third.10th Race Meeting (dirt)
LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN NOVICE PLATE (1,200m) Prize Money: QR 45,000 (1st 25,650 2nd 9,900 3rd 4,950): 1. Nashmi Brooq (Meteb Ali al Marri (-5kg), 2. Dalal Brooq (Rashid Ali al Marri (-3kg), 3. Ghazi Al Jeryan (Soufiane Saadi); Won by 0.75, 0.75. Time 1:22.16; Owner: Brooq Stud. Trainer: Hamad al Marri
PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Fillies & Mares) 1,700m: Prize Money: QR 45,000 (1st 25,650 2nd 9,900 3rd 4,950): 1. Aaila (Ronan Thomas), 2. Al Sabba (Ivan Rossi), 3. Chabha (Soufiane Saadi)
Won by 3.25, 1.5. Time 2:05.90
Owner: Umm Qarn Trainer: Alban de Mieulle
LOCAL THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (1,200m): Prize Money: QR 45,000 (1st 25,650 2nd 9,900 3rd 4,950): 1. Rosasa (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Dalal Al Brooq (Meteb Ali al Marri (-5kg), 3. Doha Surprise (Eduardo Pedroza); Won by 5.75, 7.75. Time 1:15.43
Owner: Mrs Subaiya Awad Ibrahim. Trainer: Mohammed Khaled Elahmed
THOROUGHBRED GRADUATION PLATE Class 5 (1,000m) Prize Money: QR 50,000 (1st 28,500 2nd 11,000 3rd 5,500): 1. Izzer (Ryan Curatolo), 2. Life Of Riley (Ronan Thomas), 3. Regality (Marco Casamento); Won by 5, 2.5. Time 1:00.71.
Owner and Trainer: Eng Osama Omer al Dafea.
THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP Class 5 (1,800m)
Prize Money: QR 50,000 (1st 28,500 2nd 11,000 3rd 5,500): 1. Barbarous Relic (JP Guillambert), 2. Palmetto Dunes (Ryan Curatolo), 3. Al Mikdam (Tomas Lukasek)
Won by short head, 4.75. Time 1:59.17;
Owner: Hamad bin Abdulrahman al Attiya. Trainer: Jassim Mohammad Ghazali
THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP Class 4 (1,200m)
Prize Money: QR55,000 (1st 31,350 2nd 12,100 3rd 6,050): 1. Shaheen (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. French Encore (Saleh Salem al Marri (-5kg), 3. Thorndyke (Gary Sanchez (-5kg) Won by 3.75, short head; Owner: Al Shqab Racing. Trainer: Ibrahim Saeed al Malki
THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP Class 3 (1,700m)
Prize Money: QR 60,000 (1st 34,200 2nd 13,200 3rd 6,600): 1. Perigee (Marco Casamento), 2. High Commander (Al Moatasem al Balushi), 3. Bluebeard (Pierantonio Convertino); Won by 3, 0.5. Time 1:50.79; Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali
AL GHARAFA CUP (1,800m)
Prize Money: QR 100,000 (1st 57,000 2nd 22,000 3rd 11,000 4th 6,000 5th 4,000): 1. AJS Wathanan (Marco Casamento), 2. Akmar (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Caid De L’Ardus (JP Guillambert), 4. Dabaab (Ronan Thomas), 5. Prince Amer (Harry Bentley); Won by neck, 2.75, 8.25, 2.75. Time 2:08.48; Owner: Al Ghazali Stud. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali