Valiant Knight lands Uqda Cup for maiden win

The Mansoor bin Ebrahim SI al-Mahmoud-owned Valiant Knight waited for the perfect moment to shine, breaking his maiden with a thrilling victory in the Uqda Two-Year-Old Cup on Thursday.
Under a brilliant ride by Marco Casamento, the son of Ghaiyyath, prevailed in a thrilling finish where the Jassim Ghazali-trained winner held off the charge of his two rivals, Glitterati and Sapphire Valley, by a neck and a further neck respectively, giving his connections a second cup in less than 24 hours.
The trio of owner, trainer and jockey won the Brooq Cup – 1900m contest for Thoroughbred Handicap (85-105), four-year-old + – with the four year-old gelding Dubawi Spectre, on Thursday at the Al Rayyan Racecourse. Abdulla Rashid al-Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager, crowned the winners.
Earlier in the day, Umm Al Shukhut Farm’s Legend Of Xanadu won the Thoroughbred Handicap (75-95) 1400m contest for three-year-old+. Ibrahim Saeed al-Malki-trained four-year-old gelding, under the supervision of jockey Jefferson Smith, defeated Fatima Rashid A al-Naimi-owned Sherood by short head.

RESULTS
2nd Al Uqda Race Meeting - Al Uqda Two-Year-Old Cup
WINNERS: (Horse, Owner, Trainer, Jockey)

Al Uqda Cup, Thoroughbred, 2YOs, 1300m
Valiant Knight, Mansoor bin Ebrahim al-Mahmoud, Jassim Ghazali, Marco Casamento
Thoroughbred Handicap (75-95), 3YO+, 1400m
Legend Of Xanadu, Umm Al Shukhut Farm, Ibrahim Saeed al-Malki, Jefferson Smith
Purebred Arabian Novice Plate, 3YOs, 1400m,
Al Jori, Al Shaqab Racing, Jean de Mieulle, Faleh Bughanaim
Thoroughbred Handicap (0-80), 3YOs, 2100m
Highland Spring, Mohammed Shaheen AA al-Kuwari, Hamad al-Jehani, Lukas Delozier
Purebred Arabian Handicap (60-80), 3YO+, 1400m
Tayyar Al Shahania, Hassan bin Ali Hassan al-Matwi, Mohammed Hassan al-Matwi, Fayos Martin Borja
Purebred Arabian Handicap (45-65), 3YO+, 1400m
Zidane, Injaaz Stud, Jihad El Ahmad, Alberto Sanna
Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate, 4YOs, 2100m
Jalaad Al Shahania, Al Shahania Stud, Rudy Nerbonne, Lukas Delozier