Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) general manager Nasser Sherida al-Kaabi (third from right) and QREC's head of Media Saad Mubarak al-Hajri (right) with the winners of Al Daayen Cup at the QREC yesterday. PICTURES: Juhaim


By Mikhil Bhat/Doha
 
 
Qassy, ridden by JP Guillambert in the silks of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani, won the Al Daayen Cup, yesterday’s feature race for Pure Arabians at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club.
Jassim al-Ghazali’s charge ran an impressive race, leading pillar-to-post, as Meghwaar, also owned by Sheikh Mohammed, made a late charge falling short by a short head at the post.
Meanwhile, Ashkal, owned by Jassim Mohammed al-Badi, finished third.
This was Qassy’s third straight win on dirt in Doha going back to Rodat Al Maida Cup in April this year, and first with Guillambert at the five-year-old’s helm.
“This was the first run for Al Shahania horses in this season and to win the first race itself is great and encouraging. When you run under the name of Al Shahania, it is not easy. Also, Julian Smart had two quality horses (Meghwaar and Aziz Al Shahania) running in the race for Al Shahania, with one of the horses rated at 112. My horse did well against such quality opposition,” al-Ghazali said after the race.
 “He (Smart) is a very good friend. But this is racing. Everyone is trying to do the best they can. Both of us are working for Al Shahania. So eventually it is a win for Al Shahania. If he had won, I would have gone up to him to congratulate. That’s how racing is.”
Talking about the race day on a personal level, he said, “On a personal note, I am happy because this is my fourth feature win in the first three weeks of the season,” he added. Yesterday, the champion trainer also had other reasons to be happy.
Earlier in the day, Count Curlin, trained by his son Mohamed Jassim Ghazali won the Class 5 Thoroughbred Handicap race for horses rated between 50 and 70.
Protect, owned by Hamad bin Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Attiyah, comfortably led the 1700m race when Richard Mullen, who had kept Count Curlin in the rear group, whipped his five-year-old ride into action. A bit further up Guillambert got Cappuccino Delight moving but Count Curlin’s run overwhelmed both Protect and Cappuccino Delight to pick up the third victory of his career.
Both Protect and Cappuccino Delight are schooled by al-Ghazali Senior.
“Everyone likes to win but to be beaten by your own son is a good feeling. You know that something is right when your own son has beaten you for the victory,” the older al-Ghazali said.
In the first race of the day, Falot Del Falot, owned by Hassan Ali Hassan al-Matwi, shed his maiden status with a smashing run in the Maiden Plate for Purebred Arabians.
Marco Monteriso’s ride won the 1800m race eight lengths ahead of al-Ghazali’s charge Makk'Hool on the newly-laid dirt track. Al Mundher, owned by Nasser Abdullah Khalifa al-Attiyah, finished third.
Al Wasmiya produced a more-than-mere-impressive run to overhaul almost the entire 12-horse field in the last two furlongs to win the Local Thoroughbred Handicap race for horses rated 70 and below.
Jockey Almotasem Al Balushi had the six-year-old mare run at the back of the field before moving up the order with two furlongs to go, and producing a fantastic run in the last 200m to edge Daleem, owned by Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi.
Alberto Sanna had al-Ghazali’s charge making a sprint of his own overhauling a massive lead by early leader Bersha, trained by Debbie Mountain, but Motivator progeny Al Wasmiya was not to be stopped.
Results
1st Race: 1. Falot Del Falot (Marco Monteriso); 2. Makk’Hool (Alberto Sanna); 3. Al Mundher (Gerald Avranche); 4. Ankor Class (Yanis Aouabed). Won by: 8, 5, 8. Time: 2:08.46. Owner: Hassan Ali Hassan al-Matwi. Trainer: Hassan al-Matwi.
2nd Race: 1. Al Wasmiya (Almotasem Al Balushi); 2. Daleem (Alberto Sanna); 3. Al Moheeb (Richard Mullen); 4. Bersha (Darren Williams). Won by: Shd, 1 ¼, Nk. Time:  Owner: Al Wasmiyah Farm. Trainer: M. al-Attiyah.
3rd Race: 1. Mister Ryan (Darren Williams); 2. Lightning Launch (Marco Monteriso); 3. Red Connect (Xavier Ziani); 4. Jazz (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 3, Hd, 1 ¼. Time: 1:25.16, Owner: Abdullah Hassan Ali Abdulmalik. Trainer: Debbie Mountain.
4th Race: 1. Haraz Al Naif (Marvin Suerland); 2. Safwan (Gaetan Faucon); 3. Al Marboush (Alberto Sanna); 4. Haashed (Richard Mullen). Won by: 1, 5, 3 ½. Time: 2:08.84. Owner: Sheikh Nasser bin Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani. Trainer: Yousef Bentaher.
5th Race: 1. Count Curlin (Richard Mullen); 2. Protect (Stephan Ladjadj); 3. Cappuccino Delight (JP Guillambert); 4. Napinda (Jaures Marcialis). Won by: ¾, Nk, 6. Time: 1:49.84. Owner: Jassim Mohamed al-Ghazali & Sons. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali
6th Race: 1. Qassy (JP Guillambert); 2. Meghwaar (Richard Mullen); 3. Ashkal (Alberto Sanna); 4. Aziz Al Shahania (Tadgh O'Shea). Won by: Shd, 5, Hd. Time: 2:15.46. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Jassim al-Ghazali.
7th Race: 1. Lesha (Pierantonio Convertino); 2. Damascene (Stephan Ladjadj); 3. Tashiriyan (Alberto Sanna); 4. Man Amongst Men (Gerald Avranche). Won by: ½, 3, Hd. Time: 1:55.86. Owner: Rashid Mubarak Aljafali al-Naimi. Trainer: Majed Seifeddine