Shanah and Nathriya spark Al Misnad’s double glory

The Annual Purebred Arabian Camel Racing Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, witnessed fierce competition for the Silver Thanaya Icons and the Million riyal prizes at Al Shahaniyah Racetrack. The event, organised by the Camel Racing Organising Committee, featured a total of 38 races for Thanaya camels (four-year-olds) — both female (Bakar) and male (Qadaan) —over a distance of 8km, spread across morning and afternoon sessions.

Six thrilling heats unfolded for the silver Thaniya symbols, continuing the excitement of this heritage sport. The action kicked off with the first main heat for Thaniya Bakr (females, open category), the most prestigious race of the day. The competition was fierce, worthy of the top prize and the coveted Shalfa (silver trophy).

It was “Shanah” who surged like an arrow in the final metres to snatch the lead and soar to victory. The win earned the prized Shalfa for her consistently outstanding owner Nasser Abdullah Ahmed al-Misnad — the master of major titles across tracks. He also clinched the top two symbols in the silver Thaniya category: the Open Bakr Shalfa with “Shanah,” and then the third heat’s Bakr Omaniyat Shalfa with “Nathriya,” completing a historic double for Al Misnad’s stable.

“Shanah” dominated with a thrilling and steady performance, taking the win in a time of 12:07.94 minutes, ahead of many renowned names and leading stables.

The Thaniya Qadaan Open category featured a strong lineup of Gulf camels determined to take the title. Amid high drama, it was “Al Hisan”, owned by Mohammed Atiq bin Zaytoun al-Muhairi, who seized control and led to the finish, winning the Silver Dagger and the QR1mn prize with a time of 12:28.34 minutes for the 8km race.

Al Misnad’s banner shone again in the third main heat for Thaniya Bakr Omaniyat, deploying multiple strong contenders early to secure the Shalfa. “Nathriya” claimed victory in 12:08.08 minutes, followed closely by fellow stablemate “Mayyada” in 12:08.13 minutes — confirming the sheer dominance of the Al Misnad name on this grand heritage evening.

Meanwhile, “Kafo” owned by Mohammed Sultan bin Markhan al-Ketbi won the Silver Dagger for Thaniya Qadaan Omaniyat. He led the fourth main heat strongly with a winning time of 12:21.77 minutes — bringing the dagger and QR1mn prize to the stable from the UAE. The fifth and sixth heats (for production-bred camels) were intense battles among strong stables. “Mathayel,” owned by Ahmed Matar Majed Tarish al-Khayyili, triumphed in the Thaniya Bakr Production main race with a time of 12:16.86 minutes.

The final heat’s star was “Mulabbi,” who responded to his owner Saeed Suhail Ali al-Bayhouni al-Dhaheri’s call, dominating to win the Production Qadaan Dagger in 12:29.92 minutes.

Interestingly, the evening’s fastest time didn’t come from any of the six symbol heats. That honour went to “Al Wathba,” owned by Mohammed Sultan Markhan al-Ketbi, who won the seventh Thaniya Bakr Open race in 12:06.78 minutes — faster than all the official title races.

With 745 camels participating, 22 heats were held in the Thaniya category on Day 10 of the grand festival.

The morning races featured thrilling rivalries among stables from across the Gulf Co-operation Council, alongside top entries from Shahaniya.

“Al-Wasilah,” owned by Salem Ahmed Mohammed Darei al-Falahi, opened the senior stage (8km distance) with a win in 12:18.88 minutes, securing the top prize of QR150,000 in the main Thaniya Bakr Production heat. “Abab,” guided by Suhail Salem Mohammed Luteih al-Amri, won the Qadaan Production heat with an impressive run of 12:34.92 minutes and a prize of QR120,000.

Meanwhile, “Salam” won the Qatar-only Thaniya Bakr Production heat for owner Abdullah Nasser Hafiz al-Hafiz al-Marri with a time of 12:32.17 minutes. In the Qadaan division, “Marfouq,” owned by Mohammed Nasser Shafi al-Qahtani, took the title in 12:39.08 minutes.