Keel Bay wins Al Ghariya Cup in style

Doha, Qatar: Jassim bin Ali M A Al Attiyah –owned Keel Bay set the pace for Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (QREC) marathon 69-meeting horse racing season clinching the Al Ghariya Cup in style at the Al Rayyan Racecourse yesterday.

The four-year-old filly, piloted by jockey Lukas Delozier, produced a lightning speed to outpace Kerindia by one-and-a-half length, giving trainer Mohammed Ghazali victory in the season-opening feature race that offered a total prize money of QR120,000.

Finishing behind Kerindia, ridden by Soufiane Saadi, was Unbutton with Jefferson Smith in the saddle in the 1200m race for 3YO+ thoroughbred fillies and mares.

Defending champion Angelic Queen, also trained by Ghazali, finished fourth in the race under Alberto Sanna.

QREC Acting CEO Bader Mohammed Al Darwish presented trophies to the winners of Al Ghariya Cup.

Meanwhile, trainer Hamad Al Jehani also had a bright start to the new season securing two victories at the Al Rayyan Racecourse yesterday.

Al Shaqab racing-owned Alhafar completed the double for Al Jehani after storming to one-and-a-quarter length win under Arnaud De Lepine in the 1700m Purebred Arabian Handicap 70-90 (Class 3) - the penultimate contest on the card.

Earlier, Szczepan Mazur rode Maguroor to a huge 11-lenghth victory in Purebred Arabian Novice Plate (Class 5) for Al Jehani’s first win of the inaugural meeting.

The Thoroughbred Handicap 75-95 (Class 3) saw four-year-old gelding Cei Connah with Pranil Arvind Kharat at the helm sealing a two-length win for trainer Deborah Amanda Clare Mountain.

Al Jeryan Stud-owned AJS Alkadriyah bagged first title of the day with over two length win as action got underway with the 1200m Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate.

Also yesterday Saleh Salem Al Marri guided Conan Bu Thaila to Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate triumph while Abdulla Rashid Al Hajri led Account to win in Thoroughbred Maiden Plate.

The second meeting today will witness a total of eight races with Al Hamla Cup up for grabs in the feature.

Equinoxe, Black Pearl, Irtiqaa and Al Buraq are among the entries for the 1500m Local Thoroughbred Conditions contest.