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| Staff Writer |
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The feature of the race meeting conducted on dirt at QREC Al Rayyan Racecourse on Wednesday, 13th December was the Zekreet Cup, where Letibar won the Local Purebred Arabian Handicap, Class 3, for 3YOs and older. This was her second straight win this season, and she completed a double for trainer Ahmed Kobeissi on the day.
The 5YO mare, carrying the colours of owner and breeder Ali Bin Saeed Aljafali Al Nuaimi, won by four lengths under the guidance of Faleh Bughanaim. Habes, owned by Abdulaziz Saleh Al Jaber and trained by Hadi Al Ramzani, finished second, followed by Nomas Al Shajaa, owned by Hassan Bin Ali Hassan Al Matwi and trained by Mohammed Hassan Al Matwi, who took third place.
The racing day was marked by wide winning margins, starting with the very first race, the 1200m Thoroughbred Handicap, Class 6, for 3YOs and older. The Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Abdulrahman Al-Atiyah owned and Gassim Ghazali-trained Little Lips won by three lengths under jockey Lukas Delozier. It was the 3YO filly’s second straight victory in five starts this season.
The Purebred Arabian Handicap 3YOs and older, Class 6, saw an even wider winning margin as the Khadija Mohammed Al Bastaki owned Casimir De Codines won by nine lengths at the line. The 6YO gelding, finally getting off the mark in his 28th start, was ridden by jockey Giuseppe Cultraro and trained by Abdulrahman Abdulwahed.
In the Local Purebred Arabian Novice Plate, Class 5, for 3YOs and older fillies and mares, the Three Quarter Racing owned and Zuhair Mohsen trained Haraiqu won by eight and a half lengths under the guidance of jockey Soufiane Saadi, who recorded a quick-fire double.
The 1st Div. of the 1200m Thoroughbred Handicap (0-75), Class 5, for 3YOs and older saw trainer Owaida Salem Al Hajri saddling Shobrom, in the colours of Three Quarter Racing, to gain his first win this season, getting the better of Doha Incanto by a head under jockey Abdulla Rashid Al-Hajri. The good runner up is owned and trained by Fahad Rashid M K Al-Hajri and was ridden by Meteb Ali Al-Marri when she finished three lengths and a quarter ahead of the nearest rival behind him.
Trainer Ahmed Kobeissi had a 1-2 in the Local Thoroughbred Handicap, Class 5, for 3YOs and older with Royal Rose returning to winning ways by beating stablemate Ajal by a head under jockey Ivan Rossi. Both the winner and the runner up carried the colours of owner Ali Bin Saeed Aljafali Al Nuaimi.
The 2nd Div. of the 1200m Thoroughbred Handicap, Class 5, for 3YOs and older was won by the Nasser Owaida Salem Al Hajri owned Boogie Time, who bounced back to form for trainer Owaida Salem Al Hajri as he won by a length and a quarter ridden by Abdulla Rashid Al-Hajri.
Trainer Owaida Salem Al Hajri and jockey Abdulla Rashid Al-Hajri grabbed their third victory each on the day as they teamed up with the Khalifa Hassan Al-Jehani owned Account to win the Thoroughbred Graduation Plate, Class 4, for 3YOs and older, by a length, recording his third win in five starts this season.
On Thursday, the seven-card race meeting conducted on turf at Al Uqda Racecourse featured the Al Uqda Cup for 2YO Thoroughbreds, which was won by Never Simple, owned and trained by Eng. Osama Omer E Al-Dafea. This was his second run in Qatar and third career start. In his debut at Nottingham in late June, he finished mid-placed, and in his first attempt in Qatar last month, he finished in a similar position. However, in his third attempt, he managed to hold more experienced rivals at bay and win the 1300m race by a quarter of a length under Olivier d’Andigne.
The bay colt was followed by Waqif, owned by Hamad Ahmed Hassan Al Malki Al Jehani and trained by Hamad Al-Jehani, who finished second. Full Gambit, owned by Fahad Nasser A E Al-Romaihi and trained by Hadi Al Ramzani, had to settle in third place. Abdullah Rashid Al Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager, crowned the winners.
Musandam owned by Al Shahania Stud and saddled by Rudy Nerbonne won the 1400m Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate, Class 6, for 4YOs. Shagraan registered a win for his owner and trainer Saeed Mohammed Shafi Al Shafi, easily winning the 1400m Purebred Arabian Novice Plate, Class 5, for 3Yos. Kab Ghazal, owned by Sharq Stud and trained by M. Al Sulaiti, won the 1400m Purebred Arabian Handicap, Class 5, for 3YOs and older, shedding her maiden tag under jockey Abdelkabir Benlarbi.
Karakoul, owned by Al Jeryan Stud and saddled by M.H.K Al Attiyah, won the 1400m Thoroughbred Handicap, Class 4, for 3YOs and older. Maraseem, owned by Al Wasmiyah Farm, won the Thoroughbred Handicap Class 3, for 3YOs and older, finishing a length and a half ahead of the nearest rival. Shamlowl, owned by Al Shaqab Racing and trained by Jean de Mieulle, won the 2100m Purebred Arabian Handicap, Class 3, for 4YOs and older in impressive fashion.
Late Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Al Thani Trophy Day Winners
On 16th December, the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club hosted the Late Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Al Thani Trophy Day at the Al Rayyan Racecourse turf track. The event was held under the patronage of His Excellency Salah Bin Ghanem Al-Ali, Minister of Sports and Youth. The nine-race card featured six trophy and cup races, with Bakir of Wathnan Racing winning the Class 1 contest for 3YOs and older Local Purebred Arabians and taking home the Late Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Al Thani Trophy.
Djafar, owned by Abdullah Bin Fahad A H Al Attiyah, won the Gr.2 PA Qatar National Day Trophy in a thrilling finish. The other winners of the day included Haunted Dream, Equinoxe, General Panic, Eddie’s Boy, Kay De Ghazal, Veverka Py, and Posuelo Py. The QREC Chairman, His Excellency Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, and QREC Acting CEO, Bader Mohammed Al Darwish, presented the trophies to the winners. Hamad Bin Abdulrahman Al Attiya, Vice Chairman of QREC and Chairman of the Asian Equestrian Federation, crowned the winners.