Al Zwair lands Msheireb Cup with a late surge

Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Zwair delivered a sensational performance to claim the Msheireb Cup at the Al Uqda Racecourse on Thrusday.

The five-year-old grey horse, owned and bred by Al Shaqab Racing and trained by Jean de Mieulle, showcased his class and speed, storming from behind in the home straight under a perfectly timed ride by the in-form Pierre Charles Boudot to win the 1400m contest by one and a quarter length for the Purebred Arabian Handicap ahead of stud-mate Al Khbaib.

Al Zwair overtook the leading pack in style, winning comfortably the 1400m race for the four-year-old+ and secured a hat-trick of wins for his jockey. Abdulla Rashid al-Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager, crowned the winners.

Earlier Jockey Boudot was in the winners’ enclosure when he guided Injaaz Stud-owned and Zuhair Mohsen-trained Kerindia to win the 1400m contest for the Thoroughbred Fillies & Mares Plate for three-year-old+ in the penultimate race of the day. Boudot also rode Al Majd Stud’s Khattab La Gloire to win the 2300m contest for the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate for four-to-six-year-olds by a margin of seven and a half lengths.Just Bring It, in the colours of Wathnan Racing, won the Thoroughbred Handicap (80-100) for four-year-old+. Alban de Mieulle-trained horse won the 2200m race by a half a length margin under jockey Tomas Lukasek. In the card opener, Umm Al Shukhut Farm’s Grace Secret under jockey Fayos Martin Borja won the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate for the three-year-olds by a neck.

On Wednesday, Ezzat Nafs showcased her resilience and class by bouncing back to winning ways in the Al Mafiar Cup. The eight-year-old mare, owned by Sabhea Awad Ibrahim and trained by Khaled Mohamad Alahmad, delivered a stunning pillar-to-post performance, narrowly holding off the strong challenge of Naseeb Zakhir to secure victory by just a neck. Jockey Fayos Martin Borja expertly guided her to this hard-fought success.

RESULTS
39th Al Rayyan Race Meeting - Msheireb Cup
WINNERS: (Horse, Trainer, Jockey)
1 - Msheireb Cup - Purebred Arabian Handicap 85-105 (Class 2)
Al Zwair, Jean de Mieulle, Pierre Charles Boudot
2 - Thoroughbred Fillies And Mares Plate (Class 2)
Kerindia, Zuhair Mohsen, Pierre Charles Boudot
3 - Thoroughbred Handicap 80-100 (Class 2)
Just Bring It, Alban Elie De Mieulle, Tomas Lukasek
4 - Thoroughbred Handicap 65-90 (Class 3)
Kovanof, Alban Elie De Mieulle, Youssef Lachhab
5 - Local Thoroughbred Handicap 45-65 (Class 4)
Estoori, Mohammed Balasim al-Jumaili, Shakir al-Balushi
6 - Thoroughbred Novice Plate (Class 5)
Curzon, Mohammed Ghazali, Fayos Martin Borja
7 - Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate (Class 6)
Shagran Alseej, Jassim Hamad al-Atteya, Marco Casamento
8 - Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate (Class 6)
Khattab La Gloire, Yousef al-Jumaily, Pierre Charles Boudot
9 - Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate (Class 6)
Grace Secret, Mohamed Khaled Elahmed, Fayos Martin Borja