Alban de Mieulle’s faith in TM Thunder Struck continues to pay off this season as the Umm Qarn horse edged out the likes of HH The Emir’s Sword winner Gazwan and Derby winner Aba’ath for a close win in the Qatar Gold Sword at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club here yesterday. The Majd Al Arab colt’s win, which followed his Kahayla Classic second-place finish from two weeks ago, also was jockey Adrie de Vries fourth on the day, and trainer De Mieulle’s second.



Umm Qarn representative Abdullah al-Kubaisi (left) receives the Golden Sword from Sheikh Thani bin Hamad al-Thani after TM Thunder Struck won the Qatar Gold Sword race at Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club yesterday. PICTURES: Juhaim

The 10-furlong Group 2 race for Pure Arabians saw Majed Seifeddine’s Saab take the lead, coming off a wide start, ahead of Umm Qarn’s Majeed, with De Vries not too far behind next to the rails. As action moved on to the final straight, Aba’ath, ridden by Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim in Al Shaqab Racing colours for Thomas Fourcy, and HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Gazwan joined Majeed up ahead. TM Thunder Struck made it a quartet coming on in from the inside.
In the final 50m, TM Thunder Struck deployed his final reserve of energy to edge out Gazwan for an impressive win.
“He was running two weeks ago in Dubai. I was worried about recovery because the time gap between Dubai and today was just two weeks, and you never really know how a horse recovers. But today he did well,” De Miuelle told Gulf Times.
“Also, I think 2,000m is a good distance for him. The Emir’s Sword is 2,400m, which is a bit long I think for him. We know he is very good for nine furlongs but he can do 2,000m.”
De Vries, having won thrice earlier in the day, was palpably ecstatic. He had a maiden winner in Sobheya in the day’s first race, before he guided Emirati raider Roi de Vitesse to a sprint victory and Umm Qarn’s Muhjah in the Qatar Silver Trophy.
“It is just a great day. These were nice rides to pick up for Umm Qarn. I am delighted it worked out this way,” De Vries said. “I had a good start to the day and generally it works out after that because you ride with confidence. Everything just fell into place. I had a dream race on this horse and we held on to win this really great race. Julian Smart’s horse came close bit towards the end but thanks to God, the finish was there.”
The Blue Eye brushed aside a disappointing Sheema Classic run last month with an amazing run that saw the Jassim Ghazali-trained Dubawi colt win the Qatar Gold Trophy, a Group 1 race for three-year-old and older thoroughbreds.
Ridden by champion jockey Harry Bentley in the colours of Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari, The Blue Eye tracked early leaders Magnolia Beach and Ningara before moving ahead on the outside with 200m to go in the 11 furlong race. The HH The Emir’s Trophy winner then pulled away to finish four lengths ahead of second-placed Extremis, with Fort Moville finishing third. The win was second on the day for the owner-trainer-jockey trio.
Al-Kuwari-owned Spaghetti stayed true to his favourite status as Bentley, again running for Ghazali, won the Qatar Silver Sword for four-year-old Pure Arabians to continue with his impressive run this season. The chestnut colt had last won HH The Emir’s Silver Sword in February after shedding his maiden status in December. Yesterday, another Ghazali charge, Mujahidah, took the lead under JP Guillambert, while Spaghetti stayed in the mix. Coming on to the final straight, Bentley had Snoopi’s French-born son move forward on the outside and into the contention, even as Alban de Miuelle-trained Djelamer threatened a close finish. Spaghetti, however, pulled away for a two-length win, while Al Jeryan Stud’s Majd Al Arab colt Majdan finished third.
De Mieulle celebrated an Umm Qarn one-two in the Qatar Silver Trophy with Muhjah racing to her fifth win this season, ahead of stablemate Raedah.
De Vries kept Muhjah, winner of Gulf Cup ahead of Rassan in his last run in February, at the back of the pack, even as Gaetan Faucon had Raedah set the pace up front. On to the home straight, Muhjah moved wide out, steering clear of traffic, and overhauled the entire field, joining Raedah in the lead.
Bentley moved last year’s winner Taraf closer to the action up front but perhaps left it a tad bit too late to change the result.
Ahmed Kobeissi’s charge Sraab raced to his first win since November 2014 yesterday, when the seven-year-old won the 1850m Local Thoroughbreds event.
Jockey Seb Sanders had Sraab follow Umm Qarn’s Marjan and Moaddie, a five-time winner this season, on the inside, even as stablemate Footprintinthesand set the pace up ahead.
On the final straight, Sraab squeezed through between Moaddie and Mohannad al-Yaqout’s Aseer and raced to his tenth career win. Moaddie finished second ahead of Aseer.
After finishing second in his last two outings, Mohamed bin Hamad Khalifa al-Attiyah’s Ard San Aer picked up his second career win, edging out Gerrard’s Quest in the Class 1 Al Wajba Trophy for three-year-old thoroughbreds.
Ridden by Brett Doyle, the bay colt tracked early leader Al Sarim and got into contention a furlong from the finish. As the mile-long race entered the final 100m, the race transformed into a two-horse event with Ard San Aer eventually edging out Mohamed Hussein-trained Gerrard’s Quest, who he had lost to in the last outing in March, for a win.
Nine-year-old Roi de Vitesse had finished second to Ghazali-schooled Izzthatright on his last trip to Qatar in February.
Yesterday, however, under De Vries for Ali Jan, the trainer from UAE, the Chineur progeny put on display an amazing turn of foot to overhaul half of the 18-strong field in the last 300 metres to win the Class 1 Sealine Sprint Trophy.

Results
Race 1: 1. Sobheya (Adrie de Vries), 2. Saqr (Gaetan Faucon), 3. Musaiter Bu Thaila (Alberto Sanna), 4. Athena (Marvin Suerland). Won by: 2, ½, 19. Time: 1:27.24. Owner: Noor Khalid al-Ahmed. Trainer: Khalid al-Ahmed.
Race 2: 1. Jalwa Al Jazeer (Tadgh O’Shea), 2. AJS Gannas (Stephan Ladjadj), 3. Seif Al Arab Al Sulaimi (JP Guillambert), 4. Manna Al Naif (Brett Doyle). Won by: 1 ½, 2 ½, 15. Time: 1:34.02. Owner: Hassan Ali Hassan al-Matwi. Trainer: Hassan al-Matwi.
Race 3: 1. Roi de Vitesse (Adrie de Vries), 2. Aqdaar (Yanis Aouabed), 3. Qatar Light (Pier Convertino), 4. Bronze Maquette (Tadgh O’Shea). Won by: 3, Shd, Nk. Time: 1:08.79. Owner: Mohamed Mahran Jamsheer. Trainer: Ali Jan.
Race 4: 1. Ard San Aer (Brett Doyle), 2. Gerrard’s Quest (Marco Monteriso), 3. French Encore (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Flying Empress (Harry Bentley). Won by: Hd, 1 3/4, Shd. Time: 1:33.23. Owner: Mohamed bin Hamad Khalifa al-Attiyah. Trainer: MHK al-Attiyah.
Race 5: 1. Sraab (Seb Sanders), 2. Moaddie (Yanis Aouabed), 3. Aseer (Brett Doyle), 4. Al Dabor ((Harry Bentley). Won by: 3/4, 3/4, 2 1/2. Time: 1:54.25. Owner: Mohamed Kazim Al Ansari & Sons. Trainer: Ahmed Kobeissi.
Race 6: 1. Muhjah (Adrie de Vries), 2. Raedah (Gaetan Faucon), 3. Taraf (Harry Bentley), 4. Istibdad (JP Guillambert). Won by: Nk, ½, ¾. Time: 1:42.00. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.
Race 7: 1. Spaghetti (Harry Bentley), 2. Djelamer (Gaetan Faucon), 3. Majdan (Stephan Ladjadj), 4. Civaldi de Montegut (Richard Mullen). Won by: 2, ¾, Nk. Time: 1:59.07. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 8: 1. The Blue Eye (Harry Bentley), 2. Extremis (Richard Mullen), 3. Fort Moville (Marvin Suerland), 4. Ningara (Alberto Sanna). Won by: 4, ½, ¾. Time: 2:11.68. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.
Race 9: 1. TM Thunder Struck (Adrie de Vries), 2. Gazwan (Harry Bentley), 3. Majeed (Gaetan Faucon), 4. Aba’ath (Faleh Bughanaim). Won by: Shd, Shd, ½. Time: 2:10.03. Owner: Umm Qarn. Trainer: Alban de Mieulle.