28 November 2018 at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club had an eight-race card and two of the races were for Arabians. Rashid Ali Al Marri equalled his last season’s victory tally of five in the first month of the 2018-19 season when he rode Mansoor Mesfer Al Hajri’s Haddah Dukhan (Majd Al Arab x Gantra El Baraka) to the 6y-old’s second straight victory in the 1700m Purebred Arabian Handicap (90 & below).Diese (F) came in second for trainer Alban de Mieulle under Ronan Thomas while Harry Bentley rode Al Ghawja (QA) in for third.
Some impressive pace on the final straight saw Injaaz Stud’s LUPIE (Lope De Vega x Valeriocia) take a fantastic victory in the 1100m Muraikh Cup (Thoroughbreds Class 2) on the dirt at Al Rayyan Park on Wednesday.
Mansoor Ebrahim Al Mahmoud’s ROMAN LEGEND (Holy Roman Emperor x Talking Liberties) was well held on both his starts this term, but brushed that aside with his pace on the final straight as Qatari jockey Saleh Salem Al Marri helmed the Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi-trained 7yo to the horse’s first victory since January 2017 in the Thoroughbred Handicap (Class 3) (75-95).
After skipping the 2017-18 season in Qatar completely, the Mohamed Khalid Elahmed-saddled Khat Al Nar (Domestic Fund x Blackpool Mamma’s) made a smashing return to racing at the Al Rayyan Park this season with Anas Al Seyabi riding the gelding to his second straight victory over six furlongs in the Local Thoroughbred Handicap (75 & below).
Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari’s ABU SAMRAH (Zafeen x Starks) switched surfaces to improve on his seventh-place finish in the season-opener as Harry Bentley helmed the Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi-schooled 5yo to victory in the Local Thoroughbred Graduation Plate.
Jockey Meteb Ali Al Marri registered his first victory of the season when he rode the Hamad Ateeq Al Marri-trained REEM BROOQ (Line Of Davis x Neon Lipstick) to a close victory in the 1700m Local Thoroughbred Maiden Plate. This was the filly’s 23rd attempt at shedding her maiden status.
The Zuhair Mohsen Zuhair Maki-trained Jabal Aramoon (Azadi x Al Gazalla) had not entered the winners enclosure since his arrival from Europe a season ago, but that changed on Wednesday when Gerald Avranche helmed the 5yo to his first victory in Qatar by a neck in the Purebred Arabian Novice Cup. Baker De Saularie (FR) came second by a neck under Stephan Ladjadj, while Hamee (GB) under Shakir Al Balushi was third.
`~supplied report