Injaaz Stud’s colours entered the winner’s circle thrice yesterday, including with Mohamed Riyaz-saddled Gaby De Faust that landed the Dukhan Cup at Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park. Sprint veteran Izzthatright and juvenile Golden Bear were the other winners yesterday for the outfit.
Helmed by Michael Forest in the 1700m dirt feature for three-year-old and older Arabian fillies and mares, Gaby De Faust tracked early leader, Ivan Rossi-ridden Safae, before taking charge on the home straight. Ronan Thomas and his partner Dabaab began their pursuit too but the duo inexplicably lost pace midway through the chase and Gaby De Faust pulled away to win by almost seven lengths for her first win in Qatar.
Alban de Mieulle-trained Dabaab finished second, ahead fo Majed Seifeddine’s ward, Safae.
Al Thumama Racing’s X Force suffered his first defeat of the season as Injaaz Stud’s Izzthatright got back to winning ways for the first time since January. Zuhair Mohsen-trained Izzthatright improved his strike further, winning for the 22nd time from 41 starts, having missed out on victories last few starts.
In the Class 2 Thoroughbreds race, the eight-year-old gelding was helmed to a comfortable victory by apprentice jockey Ali Khalid al-Mosallam as the duo beat Soufiane Saadi-ridden X Force, winner in all four starts earlier in this season, by a little more than two lengths.
After a promising start to his term in Qatar in November this year, finishing third and fourth on his first two outings, Al Rabban Racing’s Shawaaheq landed his first victory around Al Rayyan Park with ease, topping the Thoroughbred Handicap for horses rated 85 and below yesterday.
Ridden by Ronan Thomas for Alban de Mieulle, Shawaaheq won the 1700m run by four lengths.
Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim completed a double yesterday when he guided Al Shaqab Racing’s Bsheer to a thrilling victory in the Purebred Arabian Handicap for horses rated 90 and below.
Tracking early leaders coming out of Gate 1, Bughanaim had Hossin Mohamed Ashour’s ward step out once the pace upped coming off the final bend in the 1900m run. As Bsheer took the advantage on the straight, Thomas-ridden Winne Taouy accelerated too and soon the race turned into a duel. As determined a run both the contenders put up, Bughanaim’s mount had his neck ahead at the post for a fine victory.
Bughanaim and fellow Qatari Meteb Ali al-Marri had guided a thoroughbred each to their maiden victories earlier in the evening.
While the meeting began with Bughanaim, astride Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani’s Mater, edging out al-Marri on Dohah in the Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate for a win, Injaaz Stud’s Golden Bear, trained by Mohamed Hussain, was the winner in the Thoroughbred Maiden Plate under the apprentice jockey al-Marri.
Al-Marri returned to the winner’s circle for the second time when he rode Third World in the colours of Abdul Rahman bin Hamad bin Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah to victory in the Thoroughbred Novice Plate. The win was second overall for Jassim Mohamed Ghazali’s ward, but first in Qatar in eight starts.
Mubarak Zayed al-Shahwani’s Satam won the only Arabian maiden as Tomas Lukasek guided Mansoor Mesfer al-Hajri-trained horse to a fine win ahead of Bughanaim-ridden Razad by almost a length.
RESULTS
Race 1: LOCAL THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (Distance: 1,200m)
1. Mater (Faleh Bughanaim), 2. Dohah (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 3, Al Mukhadram (Ronan Thomas), 4. Umm Thaga (Michael Forest). Won by: ½, Shd, 7. Time: 1:14.34. Owner: Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: Hamad Ahmed al-Malki al-Jehani
Race 2: THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (Class 6) (Distance: 1,200m)
1. Golden Bear (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 2. I Am Thunder (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 3. Swagger (Michael Forest), 4. Bercheny (JP Guillambert). Won by: 2, 4, 4. Time: 1:11.41. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Hussain.
Race 3: PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Rated 70 & Below) (4-6 Years Old) (Distance: 1,700m)
1. Satam (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Razad (Faleh Bughanaim), 3. Quitham (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 4. Deemah (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: ¾, 1 ¼, 3 ¾. Time: 2:01.40. Owner: Mubarak Zayed al-Shahwani. Trainer: Mansoor Mesfer al-Hajri.
Race 4: THOROUGHBRED NOVICE PLATE (Class 6) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Third World (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 2. Huwaiteb (Ronan Thomas), 3. Wakeel (Marco Casamento), 4. Star Of War (Michael Forest). Won by: 9 ¾, 2, Shd. Time: 2:03.76. Owner: Abdul Rahman bin Hamad bin Abdul Rahman al-Attiyah. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 5: THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 4) (85 & below) (Distance: 1,700m)
1. Shawaaheq (Ronan Thomas), 2. Massam (Francoise Herholdt), 3. Poets Dream (Soufiane Saadi), 4. Al Modajal (JP Guillambert). Won by: 4, 1, 1 ¼. Time: 1:49.14. Owner: Al Rabban Racing. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 6: PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP (90 & below) (Distance: 1,900m)
1. Bsheer (Faleh Bughanaim), 2. Winne Taouy (Ronan Thomas), 3. Shaweesh (Carlos Henrique), 4. AJS Al Moheeb (Marco Casamento). Won by: Nk, 3 ½, 1 ½. Time: 2:14.85. Owner: Al Shaqab Racing. Trainer: Hossin Mohammad Ashour.
Race 7: THOROUGHBREDS (Class 2) (Distance: 1,000m)
1. Izzthatright (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 2. X Force (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Bint Saffian (Ronan Thomas), 4. Shobrom (Ivan Rossi). Won by: 2 ¼, 2 ¼, 2 ¾. Time: 00:58.07. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen.
Race 8: DUKHAN CUP (PA 3yo & older Fillies and Mares) (Distance: 1,700m)
1. Gaby De Faust (Michael Forest), 2. Dabaab (Ronan Thomas), 3. Safae (Ivan Rossi), 4. Al Dawoodea (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: 6 ¾, 3 ½, 4 ¾. Time: 2:00.03. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Mohamed Riyaz.
Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Abdulla Rashid al-Kubaisi (third from right) with the winners of Dukhan Cup after Injaaz Stud’s Gaby De Faust won the 1700m run at Al Rayyan Park yesterday. PICTURES: Juhaim