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| Staff Writer |
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Safeer Al Shahania finally shed his maiden tag with an impressive performance in Wednesday's feature race at Al Uqda Racecourse, powering to a decisive two-length victory in the Athbah Cup.
The consistent 4YO colt, trained by Gassim Ghazali for Al Ghazali Stud, had shown promise with several placed efforts before this breakthrough success in the Purebred Arabian Premium Maiden for 4-6YOs over 1400m.
Despite drawing wide in stall 11, jockey Marco Casamento settled his mount nicely behind the early pacesetter AJS Al Ruwais, who broke from stall 1, and Texas Traveler CS.
Turning for home, Safeer Al Shahania responded generously to Casamento's urgings, sweeping past rivals to hit the front. Motaghatres gave chase bravely for owner Khalifa bin Sheail Al Kuwari and trainer Julian Smart, but the winner found another gear in the final 100m and pulled clear for an authoritative success.
Motaghatres secured second place under Alberto Sanna, with Husam Al Shahania, trained by Mohammed Hassan Al Matwi for owner Hassan Bin Ali Hassan Al Matwi, finishing a close third, just a head behind the runner-up after a spirited battle for minor honours.
The meeting began with a pulsating finish as Monapia stormed home with a perfectly-timed late surge to claim the Thoroughbred Handicap over 1400m.
The 5YO gelding, making a striking return to form, secured his first victory since the 2022/23 season in what proved to be a fiercely competitive 11-runner contest.
De Bruyne broke sharply to lead early, tracked by High And Wide before Tashkent pressed forward to challenge for the front. By the 900m mark, De Bruyne had edged back in front, with the pace remaining strong as Studio City and Nano Toro began to close from behind.
In a thrilling blanket finish, it was Monapia who prevailed by a short head for owner Khalifa bin Sheail Al Kuwari and trainer Zuhair Mohsen under a patient ride from Szczepan Mazur. Studio City was narrowly denied in second while De Bruyne finished only a further head behind in third, with less than half a length covering the trio.
Muhab Al Uraiq confirmed the promise of his February debut with a determined performance in the second race, the Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate for 3YOs over 1400m.
Trained by Hamad Al-Jehani for North Racing and partnered by Pierre Charles Boudot, Muhab Al Uraiq tracked the pace set by Shahab Alseej, who made a bold first impression on debut and led confidently throughout.
In a race that demanded every ounce of effort, Muhab Al Uraiq edged ahead in the final strides to take the win by a short head, with Shahab Alseej narrowly denied in second. Jawahir, the only filly in the three-runner field, finished a distant third, eight lengths behind.
Al-Jehani quickly doubled his tally when Ajlaan returned to winning ways with a strong finish in the Purebred Arabian Novice Plate for 4YOs over 1400m.
The colt, owned and bred by Khalifa bin Mohamed bin Khalifa Abdullah Al Attiyah, secured his second win in seven starts under a confident ride by Lukas Delozier.
Azzam FBR took up the running from the break, tracked by Al Mubhir, Hamas La Gloire and Safre Tourettes. As the field approached the home turn, Ajlaan improved smoothly into fourth with Labwa De Carrere making similar progress from behind.
In the straight, Hamas La Gloire led briefly, but Ajlaan showed an electrifying turn of foot in the final 100m to overhaul the leaders and pull away for a convincing two-and-a-half-length victory. Labwa De Carrere finished second while Safre Tourettes held on for third.
Khalil Du Croate demonstrated impressive stamina to claim the Purebred Arabian Handicap (70–90) for 5YOs and upwards over 2300m.
The 5YO gelding, owned by Khalifa bin Sheail Al Kuwari and trained by Julian Smart, was expertly guided by Alberto Sanna to a tenacious victory in the 12-runner contest.
Alsaher dictated the early pace, tracked by Jalaad Al Shahania, Hadjira De Flauzins and Al Kazim, while Dhouha made notable headway from midfield. Khatar Des Forges improved smartly to press the leaders and was soon joined by Ghanem.
Meanwhile, Khalil Du Croate was patiently ridden just off the pace and began to improve smoothly to fourth before accelerating impressively to take the lead.
In the long home straight, he faced multiple late challenges, including a strong surge from Sakher, but the son of No Risk Al Maury dug deep to fend them off and claim a hard-fought win by three-quarters of a length. Sakher took second while Dhouha stayed on well to finish third, a further three-quarters of a length behind.
The five-race card, run on turf at Al Uqda Racecourse, showcased both Purebred Arabians and Thoroughbreds in what proved to be an afternoon of exciting and competitive racing with several closely contested finishes and standout performances.
Abdulla Rashid Al Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager, crowned the winners at the meeting, which lived up to expectations with narrow margins separating the top contenders in several races.