Al Jasra Stud’s seven-year-old gelding Star Deal had seven wins in Qatar till yesterday, and all of them with the talented Qatari jockey Yousef al-Hajri.


Hilal Kobeissi receives the trainer’s trophy from Al Qamra Holding Group chairman Hamad bin Saleh al-Qamra.

Yesterday, the two picked up their eighth win together when al-Hajri rode Hilal Kobeissi-trained bay gelding to victory in the Al Areeq Cup, a Class 2 conditions race for thoroughbreds, on the dirt at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) yesterday.
Roman Legend, ridden by Harry Bentley, who already had four winners on the day coming into the finale, came threateningly close in the last 100m of the nine-furlong race but Star Deal held on well for his second victory in a week. Al Ghazali Stud’s Upholland rounded up the top three.
“It was my seventh or the eighth win with Star Deal. He is a big guy,” al-Hajri told Gulf Times yesterday. “Actually I wasn’t sure that we would win because there were big horses running alongside. We beat them all. He has only won with me. He is like my secret love now. Today we proved that we are not an easy couple to beat on the track.”
As one of the few Qatari jockeys plying their trade, al-Hajri hopes to get more chances to prove his mettle.
“I am always happy to see a local rider win; to see a Qatari win a race,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it is a big race or small. Winning is winning. Of course winning a cup race or winning HH The Emir’s Sword is something different, but you need to take baby steps.
“I need Qatari owners and trainers to support me and other local riders; give them a few chances and see what they are made of. Largely, all the jockeys are the same, we all learn from our mistakes and our experiences make us what we are. So more chances means better experience. Hopefully we will see more Qatari jockeys racing here. Racing is challenging and really hard; it just makes your heart beat so hard. And I am all for it,” al-Hajri added.
Talking about missing out on a fifth winner on the day, champion jockey Bentley said, “As a sportsman, you want to win it all and so it is a bit annoying that I didn’t win the last one. But I couldn’t have done anything. The horse hasn’t run since the Emir’s Sword meeting, so he has done well on his way back. Taking nothing away from the other wins on the day, I have had four winners on the day, and I need to be appreciative of the fact that I had such a good day at the races today.”


Jockey Yousef al-Hajri rides Star Deal to victory in the Al Areeq Cup.

Mohamed Jassim Ghazali-trained Jazz was guided to his first victory since November 2013, when Bentley rode the Danehill Dancer colt to a victory in the Class 3 Thoroughbred Handicap event.
Jazz, after staying at the back of the pack for majority of the race, surged ahead as Bentley whipped him into action, and the turn of foot was enough to get past heavy traffic to win for the first time in Doha, with his last win coming in Doncaster.
Sheikh Rowdha bint Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani’s colt finished one and a half lengths ahead of Zuhair Mohsen-trained New Pearl, while Jassim Ghazali-schooled Al Gomry was third.
Bentley’s third winner of the day was Sheikha Ayisha bint Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani-owned Power Play, also trained by the younger Ghazali, Mohamed, in the Class 5 Thoroughbred Graduation Plate.
Off Gate 1, Bentley had his ride keep the inside line even as Alberto Sanna had Akeed Misk take the early lead, before Ibrahim al-Malki’s charge Beach Samba went ahead. On to the final straight, Bentley had Power Play step out and surge ahead in the final 300m even as Sheikh Hamad bin Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani-owned Tashiriyan began his charge wide out.
In the end, JP Guillambert’s move with Tashiriyan was a tad bit late as Power Play picked up his first victory since September 2014, one and a half lengths ahead of the Dubawi colt. Abdulaziz Ali al-Qathiri’s Stolen Story rounded up the top three.
In the first race of the day, after a string of encouraging results, including four second-place finishes and two third places, Gathurst, ridden by Bentley in the colours of Yousuf Abdulbasit Ahmed Abdul Rahman al-Shaibei, finally had a win to his name when the three-year-old gelding won the Class 6 Thoroughbred Maiden Plate.
The five and a half furlong sprint was the shortest distance run by Jassim Ghazali’s charge and the gelding edged out Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani’s Izghawa by three-quarters of a length to shed his maiden status. Rome finished third under jockey Yousef al-Hajri.
In the Maiden Plate event for Purebred Arabians, Bentley was in charge of the winner once again. Wearing the colours of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani, the champion jockey rode Al Sahm for Julian Smart in the nine-furlong event on the dirt track at QREC.
The event transformed into a two-horse race in the end with Umm Qarn’s Damas posing a challenge but Al Sahm held his own to win his first race.
After a victory each over nine furlongs and seven furlongs under the belt coming into yesterday’s race, Ibrahim al-Malki’s colt Daleem showed that he is just as effective in a shorter sprint when the four-year-old, owned by Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi, was guided to fine win in the Local Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 70 and below by Cedric Segeon.
Segeon had Daleem track early leader Akram early on before he sped past Yanis Aouabed’s ride in the final furlong, even as Mohamed Hussain’s charge Al Mayeda picked up pace on the outside under Marco Monteriso. Eventually, though, Daleem held on well for his third career win, with Al Mayeda and Akram finishing second and third respectively.

RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Gathurst (Harry Bentley), 2. Izghawa (Cedric Segeon), 3. Rome (Yousef al-Hajri), 4. Town Crier (Alberto Sanna). Won by: ¾, ½, 1. Time; 1:03.56. Owner: Yousuf Abdulbasit Ahmed Abdul Rahman al-Shaibei. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali
Race 2: 1. Al Sahm (Harry Bentley), 2. Damas (Gaetan Faucon), 3. Abeah (Adnan Hawa), 4. Kasser (JP Guillambert). Won by; 1 ¾, 12, 3. Time: 2:01. 48. Owner: HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.
Race 3: 1. Wafa (Gaetan Faucon), 2. Ashkal (JP Guillambert), 3. Heytam (Adrie de Vries), 4. Meqdam Al Zaidy (Evert Pheiffer). Won by: ½, 2, Hd. Time: 1:50.02. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 4: 1. Power Play (Harry Bentley), 2. Tashiriyan, 3. Stolen Story, 4. Markstein. Won by; 1 1/2, 1 1/2, 2. Time: 2:00.21. Owner: Sheikha Ayisha bint Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 5: 1. Daleem (Cedric Segeon), Al Mayeda (Marco Monteriso), 3. Akram (Yanis Aouabed), 4. Ammon (Adnan Hawa). Won by: 3/4, 1, Shd. Time: 1:12.00. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 6: 1. Jazz (Harry Bentley), 2. New Pearl (Adrie de Vries), 3. Al Gomry (Marvin Suerland), 4. Ventura Shadow (Cedric Segeon). Won by: 1 1/2, 1, 1. Time: 1:09.21. Owner: Sheikha Rowdha bint Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
Race 7: 1. Star Deal (Yousef al-Hajri), 2. Roman Legend (Harry Bentley), 3. Upholland (JP Guillambert), 4. Zman Awal (Marc Monaghan). Won by: 1/2, 3/4, 1/2. Time: 1:51.85. Owner: Al Jasra Stud. Trainer: Hilal Kobeissi.