Jumaira Tower’s Ibrahim al-Malki (left) receives a trophy from QREC Racing manager Abdullah Rashid al-Kubaisi yesterday.

By Sports Reporter/Doha


Ibrahim Saeed al-Malki’s Jumaira Tower took his second thoroughbred conditions race victory in a span of a week, winning the Al Wakra Cup, yesterday’s feature race at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC).
With the victory in the 2000m feature, Adrie de Vries completed a double on the day, having won with Abdulaziz Jassim al-Boenain’s Dark Light in the day’s second race.
The Class 2 Al Wakra Cup saw Great White Eagle, owned by Mohammed Hassan Ali Abdulmalik take an early lead, with Injaaz Stud’s Uleavemebreathless in pursuit in the second spot. De Vries had kept his Dubawi gelding in the mix right behind.
As the action turned towards the home stretch, the field spread out really wide, with as many as six horses gunning for victory.
Great White Eagle, ridden by Gaetan Faucon, fell back even as De Vries and his mount Jumaira Tower took a marginal lead 100m from the post and they held on for a half length win.
Earlier, the Dutch jockey won with Dark Light, who shed his maiden status with a win in the Thoroughbred Maiden Plate ahead of Al Sadd Stud’s Digital Rebellion and Crisscrossed, owned by Hussain Ali Bukanan.
In the first race of the evening, Abdullah Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber’s filly Katara IV continued her improving momentum to shed her maiden status, winning the Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate ahead of Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah’s Al Saba and Adel Ali A al-Muslimani’s Tiryaq. In the two races that Katara IV had raced this season, she finished third and then second before going one better to win yesterday.
Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Carab gave Jassim al-Ghazali his only win of the day, winning the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate for his first career win. Chanson Du Soleil, owned by Osama Omar al-Dhafea, and Essa Mohammed al-Sulaiti’s five-year-old colt Saab finished third.
Bayriq, owned by Mubarak Saeed Aljafai al-Naimi and trained by Majed Seifeddine, won his second straight race this season with jockey Pier Convertino at the helm. The four-year-old gelding had shed his maiden status on the second day of the season and yesterday he edged out Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Admiral and Jassim bin Ali al-Attiyah’s Dheram Al Naif to win the Purebred Arabian Handicap race for horses rated between 55 and 85.
Hassan Ali Abdulmalik’s gelding French Encore made a winning debut at the QREC turf yesterday winning the Class 5 Thoroughbred Conditions race for two-year-olds.
The Debbie Mountain charge had only raced in Europe before yesterday, winning a race in Bath and a third-place finish in Chantilly earlier this year.
Yesterday, French Encore, ridden by Darren Williams, finished ahead of Binzart, trained by Majed Sefeddine, and Ahmed Kobeissi-schooled Secret Tale.
Umm Qarn’s Muhjah was ridden to her second victory this season by Gaetan Faucon. Alban de Mieulle-schooled mare took a victory in the Local Purebred Arabian Conditions race ahead of Saeed Mohammed al-Shafi-owned Nomaas and Injaaz Stud’s Masnoon.

RESULTS
1st Race: 1. Katara IV (Marvin Suerland); 2. Al Saba (Yasser Rajab); 3. Tiryaq (Yanis Aouabed); 4. Sky Metro (Evert Pheiffer). Won by: 3, 1, 8. Owner: Abdullah Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, Trainer: Abdullah al-Jaber
2nd Race: 1. Dark Light (Adrie de Vries); 2. Digital Rebellion (Gerald Avranche); 3. Crisscrossed (Gaetan Faucon); 4. Blazers Rock (Marvin Suerland). Won by: Shd, 1.5, 0.5. Owner: Abdulaziz Jassim Al Boenain. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen
3rd Race: 1. Carab (Alberto Sanna); 2. Chanson Du Soleil (Pier Convertino); 3. Saab (Darren Williams); 4. Showgue (Marco Monteriso). Won by: 1/2, 2, Nk. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim al-Ghazali
4th Race: 1. Bayriq (Pier Convertino); 2. AJS Admiral (Gerald Avranche); 3. Dheram al-Naif (JP Guillambert); 4. Mujidd (Jean Baptiste Hamel). Won by: Nk, Nk, 1 1/4. Owner: Mubarak Saeed Aljafai al-Naimi. Trainer: Majed Seifeddine
5th Race: 1. French Encore (Darren Williams); 2. Binzart (Pier Convertino); 3. Secret Tale (Adrie de Vries); 4. Dhyab (Marvin Suerland). Won by: Nk, 1, Shd. Owner: Eng. Hassan Ali Abdulmalik. Trainer: Debbie Mountain
6th Race: 1. Muhjah (Gaetan Faucon); 2. Nomaas (Gerald Avranche); 3. Masnoon (Jean Baptiste Hamel); 4. Tameh (Adrie de Vries). Won by: 1 3/4, 3.5, 2. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle
7th Race: 1. Jumaira Tower (Adrie de Vries); 2. Lesha (Pier Convertino); 3. Uleavemebreathless (Stephan Ladjadj); 4. Qatar Falcon (Yanis Aouabed). Won by: 1/2, Hd, Hd. Owner: Ibrahim Saeed al-Malki. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki