DOHA: The Richard Mullen-Harran combination yesterday stormed to their second major win just eight days apart at Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), winning the Lemail Cup in damp conditions.
Mullen guided Harran to the QR57,000 top prize ahead of Jelmud - ridden by Gerald Avranche - and Al Adaid who had Adrie De Vries in the saddle for the feature race at QREC.
Owned by Al Shahania Stud, the six-year-old Harran broke free from the eight-runner bunch at the final bend in the 1,200m race and never looked back as pouring rain greeted the riders.
“You know I was fighting before we won (the Lemail Cup). They (the rivals) ran very quick and I struggled a bit but at the turn he (Harran) came good,” Mullen, who earlier won race three, said.
“It was just a matter of when the gap opened and then he just quickened up,” he added.
“It is a credit to (trainer) Julian (Smart) that he turned it around so quickly. He felt a better horse than he did a week ago,” Mullen added.
Last Thursday, Mullen guided Harran to Al Hamla Cup win, the feature race at QREC eight days ago.
Smart, trainer of the third race winner Shaklan, was thrilled with Harran’s win.
“You saw that it was a fantastic race. He (Harran) has proved his mettle many times. If we can have a few more wins like this, then this Qatar International Derby winner can be a good bet in Dubai,” Smart said.
Jockey David Bouland brought delight to the Umm Qarn Farm by guiding Baaria to Dukhan Cup win, bagging the QR100,000 race ahead of Al Mazrooah and Qadir.
Maintaining a comfortable lead right until the end, Baaria proved a tough horse to chase for jockeys Andrew Elliot (Al Mazrooah) and S Golam (Qadir) in the 1,900m marathon.
Frenchman Bouland picked up the top prize of QR57,000 after the seven-runner race while Elliot walked off with QR22,000.
With a card of only four runners, Compass Way won the sixth race of the day, winning Thoroughbred Advance Plate ahead of Al Wajba and General Duke’s.
With rain pelting on the QREC dirt track, jockey De Vries held on to his lead over Al Wajba, especially in the last 50 meters to claim the top prize of QR31,350.
Ridden by jockey Yanis Aouabed, Al Wajba ended the 1,800m race ahead of third-placed General Duke’s.
In race five, Perigueux proved to be a comfortable winner over the 1,800m marathon, clinching the 11-runner race.
Ridden by Darren Williams, Perigueux clinched the top prize of QR31,350. THE PENINSULA
