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| Staff Writer |
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Qatar Racing and Marc Detempel's promising 3YO, Just A Touch, made an impressive winning debut at Fair Grounds on Saturday, hinting at a bright future for the colt. Another success came for Qatar Racing over the weekend as On The Nile secured a victory at Gulfstream Park on Sunday.
The Justify colt, Just A Touch, entered a 6-furlong maiden special weight on dirt with high expectations, eventually becoming the 1/2 favorite. Under the guidance of jockey Florent Geroux, he never caused any concerns for his backers, staying near the front throughout the race and finishing with a commanding 4¼ length lead over the rest of the field.
Just A Touch's strong backing was influenced by his impressive 5-furlong run just over 59 seconds two weeks prior to the race. Despite cruising over the finish line, his time for the 6-furlong race on Saturday was 1 minute and 10.5 seconds. Bred by Don Alberto Corporation out of the Gr.-winning Tapit mare Touching Beauty, Just A Touch was acquired for $300,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2YOs in Training by Fergus Galvin on behalf of Qatar Racing and Marc Detampel.
On another front, the 3YO Cairo Prince filly, On The Nile, secured a win in a 1-mile maiden optional claimer on the turf at Gulfstream Park. Ridden by Qatar Racing's retained jockey Oisin Murphy and trained by Brendan Walsh, On The Nile showcased significant improvement, leaving her debut form far behind as she claimed victory by a convincing 2 lengths.