Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim rode his second winner of the season when Hassan al-Matwi’s Raqee won the Al Thakhira Cup at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
In the dirt feature for Local Purebred Arabians, Bughanaim, who had won the Qatari Jockey of the Year Award at the Sport Excellence Day Awards in November last year, got his mount into the lead right out of Gate 1.
As the pace quickened in the six-furlong sprint on the home straight, JP Guillambert-ridden Lekhraib and Harry Bentley-ridden Rassan, both saddled by Jassim Mohamed Ghazali, came threateningly close but ran out of real estate as Raqee won for the first time since February last year. Champion trainer Ghazali and his son Mohamed saddled four winners on the day.
First it was Zakhir Stud’s Al Rayyan Park that entered the winner’s circle. It was the six-year-old’s first victory on his 21st career outing, with champion jockey Harry Bentley guiding Ghazali Senior’s ward to victory in a local Thoroughbred maiden.
Then Eduardo Pedroza and Soufiane Saadi guided two Thoroughbred Handicap winners with Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Lo De Nalane and Injaaz Stud’s Sir Commander notching victories.
Apprentice rider Ali Khalid al-Mosallam helmed Al Ghazali Stud’s Dheban to a fine win in a Thoroughbred handicap race for Qatari riders. It was al-Mosallam’s second victory this season.
In the penultimate race of the day, it was Mohamed Khaled Elahmed-trained Dhergham Bu Thaila who notched a victory with Anas al-Seyabi riding the gelding to a fantastic victory by almost four lengths in a six-furlong Local Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 70-90.
Earlier in the day, two of Alban de Mieulle-trained Arabians shed their respective maiden statuses with Al Shaqab Racing’s Maiuf and Umm Qarn’s Maruf winning a maiden each under Ronan Thomas.
RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Maiuf (Ronan Thomas), 2. Mkayns (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Yago Du Cayrou (Harry Bentley), 4. Wardan Al Hashm (Meteb Ali al-Marri). Won by: 1 ¼, 16, 4. Time: 2:00.25. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 2: 1. Maruf (Ronan Thomas), 2. Fahd De Faust (Tomas Lukasek), 3. AJS Al Zaeem (Harry Bentley), 4. Almesk (Shakir al-Balushi). Won by: 7 ½, 2 ½, 15. Time: 2:00.26. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 3: 1. Al Rayyan Park (Harry Bentley), 2. Sky Blue (Eduardo Pedroza), 3. Al Hadah (Alexander Reznikov), 4. Charles De Gaulle (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: 3 ¼, 2, 1. Time: 1:53.03. Owner: Zakhir Stud. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 4: 1. Lo De Nalane (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Bint Saffian (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 3. Lawless Louis (Harry Bentley), 4. Romantic Heart (JP Guillambert). Won by: ½, 4 ¼, 3. Time: 1:12.21. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 5: 1. Dheban (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 2. Majdi (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Moamar (Abdulaziz Jaber Dharman), 4. Capofaro (Saleh Salem al-Marri) Won by: 2 ¼, 1 ¼, 6. Time: 2:03.04. Owner: Al Ghazali Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 6: 1. Sir Commander (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Catch A Wave (Ryan Curatolo), 3. Tadeem (Harry Bentley), 4. Al Gomry (Faleh Bughanaim. Won by: 4 ½, ½, 1 ¾. Time: 1:11.72. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 7: 1. Dhergham Bu Thaila (Anas al-Seyabi), 2. Admiral (Eduardo Pedroza), 3. Sarat Abha (Alexander Reznikov), 4. Attaf (Ivan Rossi). Won by: 3 ¾, Nk, 2 ½. Time: 1:12.81. Owner: Subaiya Awad Ibrahim. Trainer: Mohamed Khaled Elahmed.
Race 8: 1. Raqee (Faleh Bughanaim), 2. Lekhraib (JP Guillambert), 3. Rassan (Harry Bentley), 4. Al Mustafiz (Ronan Thomas). Won by: Nk, Hd, 1. Time: 1:18.52. Owner: Hassan al-Matwi. Trainer: Hassan al-Matwi.
Khalifa bin Issa Bojamhoor al-Hassan al-Mohannadi (third from left) and Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club CEO Nasser Sherida al-Kaabi (third from right) with the winners of the Al Thakhira Cup after Raqee won the 1,200m race at Al Rayyan Park yesterday. PICTURES: Juhaim
