Staff Writer |
The Athbah Cup race meeting took place on turf at Al Uqda Racecourse. The feature event was the Purebred Arabian Premium Maiden for 3-to-6YO, Class 6. Al Shaqab Racing's Al Zwair, who was homebred and trained by Jean de Mieulle, claimed the top spot with jockey Olivier d'Andigne. They finished the race three lengths ahead of the rest of the field, securing a double on the day for the winning owner, trainer, and jockey.
The feature race of the day at the Al Uqda Racecourse was the Purebred Arabian Premium Maiden for 3-to-6YO, Class 6, with ten runners competing for the top spot. The eventual winner, Al Zwair, broke from gate 9 and was bred and trained by Jean de Mieulle for Al Shaqab Racing. Jockey Olivier d'Andigne rode Al Zwair to victory, finishing three lengths ahead of the rest of the field. The winning owner, trainer, and jockey secured a double on the day.
In the 1200m Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate for 3YOs, Class 6, Khisah Bu Thaila, owned by Wathnan Racing and trained by Alban de Mieulle, won by a margin of three and a half lengths, with jockey Soufiane Saadi in the saddle. Hossin Ashour-Harba Alseej, owned by Khalid Hamad M A Al-Atteya and trained by Mohammed Hamad Al Attiya, was the runner-up, ridden by Jefferson Smith, while Thaye, owned by Khalid Hamad M A Al-Atteya and trained by Mohammed Hamad Al Attiya, finished third, ridden by Arnaud De Lepine.
Jockey Soufiane Saadi made it a quick-fire double, riding Mastoora, owned by Al Shahania Stud and trained by Rudy Nerbonne, to victory in the 1400m Local Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate for 4-to-6YO fillies and mares, Class 6. Mastoora won by six lengths, with Zakia, owned by Wathnan Racing and trained by Alban de Mieulle, finishing second, ridden by Carlos Henrique. Naja’ah, owned and trained by Fahad Rashid M K Al-Hajri, finished third, ridden by Saleh Salem Al-Marri.
Bint Alarab, a 4YO filly bred by Al Shaqab Racing and trained by Jean de Mieulle, won the 2100m Purebred Arabian Handicap for 4YOs and older, Class 5, by half a length, with jockey Olivier d’Andigne in the saddle. Muna, owned by Al Rakaben Stud and trained by Dr. Fahad Salman F S Al-Hajri, finished second, ridden by Salman Fahad Al-Hajri, while Azooz, owned by Sheikh Khalifa Bin Abdulla A J Al-Thani and trained by Mohammed Ghazali, finished third, ridden by Tomas Lukasek.
Red Storm, owned by Al Jeryan Stud and trained by M.H.K Al Attiyah, won the 1400m Thoroughbred Handicap (60-80) for 4YOs and older, Class 4, by a neck, with jockey Mohammed Tabti in the saddle. De Bruyne, owned by Mohammed Bin Fahad A H Al Attiya and trained by Gassim Ghazali, finished second, ridden by Soufiane Saadi, while Tareekh, owned and trained by Abdulaziz Ali A Al-Kathiri, finished third, ridden by Olivier d’Andigne.
Mr Saturday, owned by Al Hajaj Stud and trained by Hamad Al-Jehani, won the 1400m Thoroughbred Handicap for 3YOs, Class 3, by three lengths, with jockey Tomas Lukasek in the saddle. Ponga, owned by Abdulatif Hussain M Z Al-Emadi and trained by Bader Al Balushi, finished second, ridden by Alberto Sanna, while Solar Aclaim, owned by Wathnan Racing and trained by Hamad Al-Jehani, finished third, ridden by Soufiane Saadi.
Al Mundher, owned by Khalifa Bin Mohamed Bin Khalifa Abdullah Al Attiyah, won the 1200m Thoroughbred Handicap for 3YOs and older, Class 3, by a length, with jockey Stephane Ladjadj in the saddle. The Nibras Racing Syndicate-owned Desert Games, trained by Abdulla Al-Mulla, finished second, ridden by Ivan Rossi, while Bottom Bay, owned by Injaaz Stud and trained by Gassim Ghazali, finished third, ridden by Marco Casamento.