Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Faleh al-Thani (centre) gives away the trophy to Ines de Mieulle as QREC general manager Nasser Sherida al-Kaabi (right) looks on after Umm Qarn’s Raedah, trained by Alban de Mieulle, won the Al Rayyan Owners Cup at the QREC yesterday. PICTURES: Juhaim

By Mikhil Bhat/Doha
 

Umm Qarn and Alban de Mieulle picked up their second feature win of the week when Raedah (Djebbel-Daniah) won the Al Rayyan Owners Cup, a race for locally-bred Pure Arabians at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club yesterday.
On Sunday, De Mieulle-schooled Kalino had won the 1.2 million euros Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Crown Jewel in Abu Dhabi.
Yesterday, Raedah, with Gaetan Faucon at the helm, won the French trainer’s first feature on the grounds of QREC this season. Rassan, owned by Jassim bin Ali al-Attiyah and trained by Jassim al-Ghazali, and Taraf, owned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani and trained by Julian Smart, finished second and third respectively.
“Yes, it’s nice to win the feature race. Everyone’s waiting for that. That’s what we race for. I am happy with this filly, she has improved a lot. She ran here 10 days ago (finished fifth). This time I told the jockey to wait a bit, not to go in front early on, and wait. That worked,” De Mieulle said after yesterday’s win, adding, “She prefers the grass to dirt. But having said that, she has done some nice races on the dirt.”
Talking about Kalino’s Sunday win, De Mieulle said, “Kalino improved a lot. He had won the World Cup a couple of years ago but he was sick last season. It was why we left him in France during the last winter. We started again in Goodwood, where she ran well to finish sixth. But then the Qatar Arabian World Cup in Longchamp, it was very disappointing. But then I thought that maybe we needed to change the distance and that’s why I put him on to the one mile race on Sunday. He proved he prefers that distance.”
In the first race of the day, Injaaz Stud’s Al Jamaaheer, ridden by Alberto Sanna, gave Jassim al-Ghazali his first win of the day.
The four-year-old colt won ahead of Katara IV, owned by Abdullah Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, and Tiryaq, owned by Adel Ali A Al Muslimani.
In the Maiden Plate race for Purebred Arabians, Adrie de Vries kept Al Jeryan Stud-owned AJS Anfowan in the lead off the gates and despite threats from Wahhaaj, ridden by Marvin Suerland, and Fer’Ha, with Richard Mullen at the helm, held on to shed his maiden status.
Julian Smart-trained Fer’Ha, owned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani, remained at the rails throughout before Mullen got the filly to step out a bit, only to find Al Shaqab Racing’s Wahhaaj in the way. Stepping back in, Fer’Ha sprinted to go side by side with the Amer progeny, who was being ridden by Dutchman De Vries for the first time.
While AJS Anfowan, trained by Mohannad al-Yaqout, moved away from that threat, al-Ghazali-schooled Wahhaaj mounted a challenge of his own. Eventually, though, AJS Anfowan held on.
Words Of A Prophet shed his maiden status on his 13th attempt in the Thoroughbred Maiden Plate yesterday.
Abdulaziz Jassim al-Boenain’s Dark Light, being ridden by Ali Al Showeikh, took the early lead in the Class 6 turf race but when the action moved on to the home straight, the field spread wide as everyone sought a clear run to the finish. Taking advantage, Seb Sanders whipped Ahmed Kobeissi’s charge into a sprint even as Marvin Suerland mounted a late raid with Blazers Rock, owned by Salem Fadgam Al Hajri & Sons.
Even as Suerland’s mount kept reducing the gap, Words Of A Prophet held on for a win. Injaaz Stud-owned Atlantic Sea, trained by younger al-Ghazali, Mohamed, finished third.
 
RESULTS
1st Race: 1. Al Jamaaheer (Alberto Sanna); 2. Katara IV (Marvin Suerland); 3. Tiryaq (Yanis Aouabed); 4. Sky Metro (Evert Pheiffer). Won by: Shd, 1 ¾, 11. Time: 1:40.24. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim al-Ghazali.
2nd Race: 1. AJS Anfowan (Adrie De Vries); 2. Wahhaaj (Marvin Suerland); 3. Fer’Ha (Richard Mullen); 4. Chanson Du Sole (Pierantonio Convertino). Won by: Nk, ½, 1 ¼. Time: 1:47.88. Owner: Al Jeryan Stud. Trainer: Mohannad al-Yaqout.
3rd Race: 1. Words Of A Prop (Seb Sanders); 2. Blazers Rock (Marvin Suerland); 3. Atlantic Sea (Stephan Ladjadj); 4. Wahshi (Marco Monteriso). Won by: 1 ½, 2, Nk. Time: 1:23.38. Owner: Mohammed Kazim al-Ansari& Sons. Trainer: Ahmed Kobeissi
4th Race: 1. Wahchey (Richard Mullen); 2. Saab (Pierantonio Convertino); 3. Naamah (Gerald Avranche); 4. Raghed (Jean Baptiste Hamel). Won by: 1, 1 ¼, ½. Time: 1:17.79. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart
5th Race: 1. Botanica (Alberto Sanna); 2. Leafcutter (Marco Monteriso); 3. Sejalaat (JP Guillamber); 4. Qatar Light (Pierantonio Convertino). Won by: 1, Hd, Shd. Time: 1:09.53. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim al-Ghazali.
6th Race: 1. Jumaira Tower (Adrie de Vries); 2. Mudhish (Jean Baptiste Hamel); 3. Ningara (Alberto Sanna); 4. Elkhart (Marco Monteriso). Won by: ¾, ¾, ½. Time: 2:31.41. Owner: Ibrahim Saeed al-Malki. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki
7th Race: 1. Raedah (Gaetan Faucon); 2. Rassan (JP Guillambert); 3. Taraf (Richard Mullen); 4. Mekhbatt (Tadgh O’Shea). Won by: Nk, 1 ¾, 2. Time: 2:03.04. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle