DOHA: AJS Qahir yesterday delivered a cameo performance to win the Club Cup on a day when trainer Jassim Ghazali celebrated a six-star show at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC).
Ridden by Italy’s Pier Convertino, AJS Qahir stayed within the five-horse pack for the most part of the race but with 50m to go, he switched gears to outrun second-placed Harran and Aziz Al Shahania.
Four-year-old AJS Qahir, despite lagging behind before the first bend in the 1400m race, picked up momentum with 700m to go before galloping towards the winning post to claim the feature race of the day with a time of 1:33.03.
Earlier in the day, trainer Ghazali celebrated three wins with jockey J.P. Guillambert and two victories with British rider Harry Bentley to cap a memorable day of races at the QREC.
Minutes before the feature race, Hearts Of Stone yesterday powered to Qatar Cup glory, winning the contest ahead of Peter Anders and Fanunalter in the 1600m turf contest.
Ridden by S. Golam, Hearts of Stone finished with a time of 1:35:67.
Peter Anders, who had Marvin Suerland in the saddle, failed to get past a surging Hearts Of Stone and had to settle for the second spot in the 16-horse race.
Fanunalter, with jockey Marco Monteriso in the saddle, finished in third spot in the QR100,00 race.
Winning trainer Ahmed Kobessi was thrilled with the outcome.
“I am very happy, yes you could say that,” Kobeissi said. “We’ve been slowly training him for such rides. I am glad that he delivered today. We will keep him in good condition for more (selective) races later in the season,” he added.
Golam picked up the top prize of QR57,000.
Popular Briton Bentley produced a slick performance in race eight, riding Kimfalah to victory in the Pure Arabians race for three-year-olds.
Kimfalah, after a slow start, made way through to the winning post ahead of Bayalina and AJS Hayem.
Ghazali-trained Kimfalah finished to give Bentley his second race of the day as Stephan Ladjadj-ridden Bayalina ended in second spot, more than two lengths behind the winner.
T. O’Shea-ridden AJS Hayem was third.
Jockey Cedric Segeon guided The Scuttler — trained by M. Salama — to an easy win in race seven, taking the honours ahead of River Goddess and Ko Cache who had Suerland in the saddle.
The Scuttler topped the 1200m turf race with a time of 1:12.17 while River Goddess — ridden by Ladjadj — finished second.
Earlier, trainer Ghazali remained in the limelight when his entry Katja won the QR50,000 race six.
The three-year-old Katja finished the 1400m turf race ahead of Crescent — ridden by Golam — and El Ameen who had W.J. Lee in the saddle as Ghazali celebrated his fifth win of the day.
After a sluggish start, Under The Radar emerged triumphant in race five but not before he was thoroughly tested by Primitorio and Twentyfourseven in the 1400m race.
Bentley, 23, brought trainer Ghazali his fourth win of the day, guiding Under The Radar to win ahead of Primitorio and Twentyfourseven.
Minutes earlier, AJS Amjad relied on his reserves of energy to notch a hard-fought win in the 1400m race ahead of Al Koufa and Ladys Sandman.
Jockey Gerald Avranche timed his late burst beautifully as M. Al Yaqout-trained AJS Amjad raced ahead of Al Khofa and Ladys Sandman in the last 100m.
In race three, Ghazali-trained Howlin’ For You stormed to win in the QR50,000 contest ahead of Red Connect and Tumnut.
Ridden by Guillambert, Howlin’ For You finished the 1200m race with a time of 1:12:74, nudging Monterio’s Red Connect to second place. In third spot was Tumut who had Avranche in the saddle.
In race two, Elwazeer produced a late surge to sail past the winning post in the QR80,000 Longines World Fegentri Championship.
Elwazeer, ridden by Guilan Bertrand, edged Collect Art and Abeer to claim the top prize of QR45,600.
Ghazali-trained Collect Art, despite an impressive run,
finished second with Frederik Tett. Abeer — with jockey
Nicolas De Julian — finished in third spot.
Ghazali-trained Rassan opened the proceedings with a comfortable win, claiming the honours in Pure Arabian Maiden Plate.
Ridden by Guillambert, Rassan beat Majeed to the top spot in the QR50,000 race.
Majeed, ridden by Gaetan Faucon, secured the second
spot while Wahchey — who had
R. Mullen in the saddle — finished third. THE PENINSULA
Horse Racing Results
P/A MAIDEN PLATE
1600m
Running Time: 1:48:06
(Read under as horse, trainer, jockey)
Rassan, Jassim Al Ghazali, J.P Guillambert; Majeed, A. de Mieulle, Gaetan Faucon; Wahchey, J. Smart, R. Mullen.
HOROUGHBRED CONDITIONS — FEGENTRI RIDERS DIV 1
1400m
Running Time: 1:23:95
Elwazeer, Jassim Al Ghazali, G Bertrand; Collect Art, Jassim Al Ghazali, Frederik Tett; Abeer, Jassim Al Ghazali, Nicolas De Julian.
THOROUGHBRED MAIDEN PLATE (2 YEAR OLDS ONLY)
1200m
Running Time: 1:12:74
Howlin’ For You, Jassim Al Ghazali,J.P Guillambert; Red Connect, Al Qathiri, Marco Monteriso; Tumut, M. Al Yaqout,Gerald Avranche.
P/A HANDICAP RATED 0 - 60
1400m
Running Time: 1:34:05
AJS Amjad, M. Al Yaqout Gerald Avranche; Al Koufa, J. Smart, R. Mullen; Ladys Sandman, Ahmed Kobeissi S. Golam.
THOROUGHBRED CONDITIONS (3 YEAR OLDS ONLY)
1400m
Running Time: 1:24:05
Under The Radar, Jassim Al Ghazali, Harry Bentley; Primitorio, O. Al Dhafa, Gerald Avranche; Twentyfourseven, Jassim Al Ghazali, P. Convertino.
THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP RATED 50 - 70 (DIV 1)
1200m
Running Time: 1:13:13
Katja, Jassim Al Ghazali, J.P Guillambert; Crescent, Ahmed Kobeissi, S. Golam; El Ameen, H. Al Khayarin,W. J Lee.
THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP RATED 50 - 70 (DIV 2)
1200m
Running Time: 1:12:17
The Scuttler, M. Salama,Cedric Segeon; River Goddess, Jassim Al Ghazali, Stephan Ladjadj; Ko Cache, Z. Mohsen, Marvin Suerland.
P/A CONDITIONS (3 YEAR OLDS ONLY)
1200m
Running Time: 1:21:20
Kimfalah, Jassim Al Ghazali, Harry Bentley; Bayalina, Jassim Al Ghazali, Stephan Ladjadj; AJS Hayem, M. Al Yaqout, Gerald Avranche.
QATAR CUP — THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP RATED 85+
1600m
Running Time: 1:35:67
Hearts Of Stone, Ahmed Kobeissi, S. Golam; Peter Anders, Z. Mohsen, Marvin Suerland; Fanunalter, A. Al Qathiri, Marco Monteriso.
CLUB CUP — P/A CONDITIONS
1400m
Running Time: 1:33:03
AJS Qahir, M. Al Yaqout, P. Convertino; Harran, J. Smart, R. Mullen; Aziz Al Shahania, J. Smart,T. O’Shea.
