Casamento rides Eifrit to Umm Al Zubar Cup victory

Sheikh Ahmad bin Mohamed F N al-Thani-owned Eifrit registered a convincing victory to win the Umm Al Zubar Cup on Wednesday.
At the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)’s Al Rayyan Racecourse, the Jassim Ghazali-trained six-year-old bay under Marco Casamento, reserved his effort for the final stages of the 190mm Purebred Arabian race to secure a commanding 2¼ lengths victory to retain the cup for Sheikh Ahmad.
The win also completed a quick-fire double for veteran trainer Ghazali.
HE Sheikha Iman M K al-Thani’s Fayq Al Shahania finished second.
Meshaal bin Ali al-Attiyah, ambassador of the State of Qatar to Bosnia and Herzegovina, crowned the winners.
Ghazali was in the winners’ enclosure in penultimate race for the day, when Nasser Saeed MS al-Eida’s Mystical Music won the 1,700m contest - Thoroughbred Handicap (80-100) for four-year-old+. Jockey Mohammed Hassan Ali Alabdulmalik guided the six-year-old gelding to a length victory over Al Shaman, in the colours of Time Form Syndicate.
Al Gaiah Racing’s Sky Blue won the 1,900m race for the Local Thoroughbred Handicap (55-75), four-year-old+. Jockey Alberto Sanna rode the Ahmed al-Jehani-trained Nine-year-old bay bay gelding to five lengths victory over Hamad Ateeq Mohammed al-Marri’s Suheal Qatar.
In the card opener, Hamad Ahmed Hassan al-Malki al-Jehani-owned and trained Lavinia De Carrere won the 1,700m Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate for the 4-6-year-olds.
The highly anticipated nine-race HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy Day will take place today at Al Uqda Racecourse.
The opening week of the New Year will conclude with the Al Rakayat Cup Day, scheduled for Saturday and featuring seven exciting races at Al Uqda Racecourse.

RESULTS
18th Al Rayyan Race Meeting - Umm Al Zubar Cup
WINNERS (Horse,Trainer, Jockey)
1 - Umm Al Zubar Cup - Purebred Arabian Open Allowance Race (Class 2)
Eifrit, Jassim Ghazali, Marco Casamento
2 - Thoroughbred Handicap 80-100 (Class 2)
Mystical Music, Jassim Ghazali, Mohammed Hassan Ali Alabdulmalik
3 - Local Thoroughbred Handicap 55-75 (Class 3)
Sky Blue, Ahmed al-Jehani, Alberto Sanna
4 - Thoroughbred Handicap 65-85 (Class 4)
One Nation, Ahmed al-Jehani, Arnaud De Lepine
5 - Thoroughbred Handicap 50-70 (Class 5)
He’s A Dream, Abdulaziz Ali al-Kathiri, Szczepan Mazur
6 - Local Thoroughbred Handicap 0-50 (Class 5)
Mallhog, Fahad Bin Mubarak al-Groon, Abdulla Rashid al-Mansoori
7 - Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate (Class 6)
Surooh, Julian Colin Smart, Maikon De Souza
8 - Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate (Class 6)
Lavinia De Carrere, Hamad al-Jehani, Arnaud De Lepine.