Al Wasmiya won her third race this season when Italian jockey Pier Convertino rode her to victory in the Al Jassasiya Cup, a Local Thoroughbred Handicap race that was the feature of the eight-race card at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) here yesterday.
The Al Wasmiyah Farm mare that had picked up a Handicap victory in December and November each showed some amazing turn of foot when she went past almost the entire field in the final two furlongs to win the 1200m event.



Jockey Pier Convertino rides Al Wasmiyah Farm-owned Al Wasmiya to victory in the Al Jassasiya Cup at the QREC yesterday. PICTURES: Juhaim

Stephan Ladjadj rode Jassim al-Ghazali-trained Gaza VI into the lead early on with Debbie Mountain-schooled Bersha right behind.
As the action heated up going into the final bend, Convertino whipped Al Wasmiya into action on the outside and the M al-Attiyah-trained mare didn’t disappoint. Soon she was galloping alongside Bersha and Tarablas, who had also surged forward after staying in the middle early on. Gaza VI was left behind while Convertino’s ride edged the competition for a thrilling win.
Bersha, Tarablas and Gaza VI finished second, third and fourth respectively.
Earlier, the trio of Umm Qarn, trainer Alban de Mieulle and jockey Gaetan Faucon picked up two victories with Nashmi and Azeeza.
Nashmi had finished second behind stable-mate TM Thunder Struck in the Qatar National Day Trophy (Gr2PA) last month but yesterday the seven-year-old was good enough to edge out Al Majh’Hoor, ridden by Marco Monteriso in the silks of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani, to win the Purebred Arabian Conditions event. Injaaz Stud mare Vetlana De Faust was third.
Earlier in the day, Umm Qarn filly Azeeza raced to her first career win in the seven furlong Purebred Arabian Plate event. Faucon’s ride finished ahead of al-Ghazali-trained Khalfa and Julian Smart’s charge Al Koufa.
Majed Seifeddine-trained Red Majesty had started his season with a win over six furlongs on the second raceday but after three disappointing runs since, the Mubarak Saeed Aljafai al-Naimi-owned gelding won the Class 4 Thoroughbred Handicap event yesterday, ahead of Hussain Ali Bukanan’s Emaad and Hassan Ali Abdulmalik’s Juventas.
Osama Omar al-Dhafea’s Primitorio picked up his first win this season with Cedric Segeon riding the four-year-old colt to a victory in the Class 2 Thoroughbred Conditions event. Primitorio finished a length ahead of Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari’s Third Dimension and Mohamed Hassan Ali Abdulmalik’s Great White Eagle.
In the first race of the day, Subaiya Awad Ibrahim’s two-year-old gelding Shahd Al Asal shed his maiden status in his second career outing when Marvin Suerland rode the M Khalid-schooled bay horse to victory in the Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate ahead of Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Muzhelah and Jaber Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber’s Hamamah.
After two straight second-place finishes this season, Zuhair Mohsen-schooled Rijm shed his maiden status in the seven furlong Thoroughbred Maiden Plate event. Ali al-Showeikh rode Charme Secret to second place ahead of Harry Bentley’s ride Stevie’s Wonder.
Another horse that picked up his first career win was Essa Mohamed al-Sulaiti’s bay colt Fal Alkhair. The four-year-old had made four attempts at shedding the maiden status this season before Darren Williams rode him to a victory yesterday.
Al-Ghazali charge Saab Al Manal finished second on his debut with jockey Stephan Ladjadj and Sheikh Mohamed-owned Najwa was third.

RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Shahd Al Asal (Marvin Suerland), 2. Muzhelah (Adrie de Vries), 3. Hamamah (Marco Monteriso), 4. Al Maadia (Yanis Aouabed). Won by: 0.75, 2.5, 7. Owner: Subaiya Awad Ibrahim. Trainer: M Khalid.
Race 2: 1. Azeeza (Gaetan Faucon), 2. Khalfa (JP Guillambert), 3. Al Koufa (Harry Bentley), 4. Istibdad (Stephan Ladjadj). Won by: 0.75, Dh, 1.25. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 3: 1. Rijm (Adrie de Vries), 2. Charme Secret (Ali al-Showeikh), 3. Stevie’s Wonder (Harry Bentley), 4. Dig Deep Baby (Darren Williams). Won by: 0.75, 0.5, 3. Owner: Mubarak Abdulla MB al-Moadhi. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen.
Race 4: 1. Fal Akhair (Darren Williams), 2. Saab Al Manal (Stephan Ladjadj), 3. Najwa (Harry Bentley), 4. Zaffran (Yanis Aouabed). Won by: 0.5, 1, Nk. Owner: Essa Mohamed al-Sulaiti. Trainer: M. al-Sulaiti.
Race 5: 1. Red Majesty (Gaetan Faucon), 2. Emaad (Adrie de Vries), 3. Juventas (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 4. Aqdaar (Jaures Marcialis). Won by: Hd, Nk, 2.5. Owner: Mubarak Saeed Aljafali al-Naimi. Trainer: Majed Seifeddine.
Race 6: 1. Primitorio (Cedric Segeon), 2. Third Dimension (Alberto Sanna), 3. Great White Eagle (Darren Williams), 4. Hearts of Stone (Seb Sanders). Won by: 1, Shd, Nk. Owner: Osama Omar al-Dhafea. Trainer: O. al-Dhafa.
Race 7: 1. Nashmi (Gaetan Faucon), 2. Al Majh’Hoor (Marco Monteriso), 3. Vetlana De Faust (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Al Najib (Yanis Aouabed). Won by: Nk, 2.5, 2.5. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 8: 1. Al Wasmiya (Pier Convertino), 2. Bersha (Seb Sanders), 3. Tarablas (Brett Doyle), Gaza VI (Stephan Ladjadj). Won by: Nk, Nk, 1. Owner: Al Wasmiyah Farm. Trainer: M. al-Attiyah.