Quinault Lands Dukhan Sprint For Stuart Williams
British Raider Quinault Denies Local Hero Taxiwala
Quinault delivered a career-defining victory in the Gr.3 Dukhan Sprint Cup at the HH The Amir Sword Festival in Doha, turning the tables on defending champion Rogue Lightning and denying 9YO Qatar sprinting star Taxiwala in a thrilling 1200 metres contest on Day 4 of the Festival. The German-bred 6YO gelding, trained by Newmarket-based Stuart Williams and owned by TJE Racing, was ridden with supreme confidence by jockey Marco Ghiani, who dictated proceedings from the front before pulling clear to stop the clock at 1:09.89 on the Al Rayyan Racecourse turf.
Ghiani, who has been the regular partner for the son of Oasis Dream throughout his remarkable rise from a mark of 59 to Group Three-winning sprinter, was full of praise after the race. “He was really good today. The team at home has done a great job. The ground was beautiful and the track was perfect,” said the jockey. “He had a fantastic cruising speed today. He made life much easier.”
The victory marked a significant step forward for Quinault, who had finished third in this very race 12 months earlier behind Rogue Lightning, and also placed third in the Gr.1 British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October 2025. Having reeled off three consecutive Listed victories during the 2024 campaign at Chester, Newmarket and York, the gelding confirmed his progression to Group level with a thoroughly authoritative display at one of the Gulf’s most prestigious festivals.
Behind the winner, Taxiwala ran another courageous race for trainer and owner Osama Al-Dafea with former French champion jockey Pierre Charles Boudot in the saddle. The veteran Irish-bred sprinter, boasting a remarkable 21 wins from 49 career starts and the highest earnings of any horse in the field, once again demonstrated why he remains one of the most prolific performers in Qatar racing. At the age of nine, the elder statesman showed no signs of slowing down, chasing the winner home gamely to fill the runner-up position.
Defending Champion Rogue Lightning Dethroned
Lethal Levi, the Ayr Gold Cup hero trained by Karl Burke, finished a creditable third under Sam James on his first international assignment. The front-runner, who broke the course record at Ayr in September 2024 when leading home a remarkable one-two-three for his stable in one of Britain’s most iconic sprint handicaps, showed his customary tenacity but could not match the winner’s devastating turn of foot. It was nonetheless a promising effort from the Made In Thailand-owned gelding on unfamiliar ground.
Defending champion Rogue Lightning could manage only fourth for trainer Tom Clover and jockey Maxime Guyon, unable to replicate his impressive victory 12 months ago. The Wathnan Racing-owned gelding, purchased for US$1.2 million (£1 million) in 2023, had followed up last year’s Dukhan Sprint triumph with a close second in the Gr.2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland during a subsequent campaign in the United States. His effort on this occasion suggested the 6YO may need further time to recapture peak form after a quiet end to the 2025 European season.
The Strikin Viking completed the field in fifth for Wathnan Racing and trainer Hamad Al-Jehani.
Williams was understandably thrilled with his stable star’s performance. “He’s got an amazing will to win,” said the trainer. “After last year, we thought come back again. He’s an absolute super star. Extremely proud of his performance.” The victory represents a landmark international success for the Williams yard, and the story of a horse who began his career with a solitary run for Godolphin before being sold for just 25,000 guineas only to become a Group winner on the world stage remains one of the most compelling narratives in modern sprint racing.
