The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) organised the ninth race meeting in the 2022-23 season calendar of the Al Uqda Racecourse on Wednesday, 25 January. The seven-race card day was run on dirt and was wrapped up with the Ras Rokn Island Cup, a 2000m Handicap (65-85) for 4YO+ Local Thoroughbreds. It was Nasser Saeed Al Eida’s Wukair (QA) (Lancelot x Yamamah) who landed the spoils in the day’s feature, completing a double as finished victorious in his previous start as well. The Gassim Ghazali trained 6YO horse quickened up smartly inside the final furlong to score a two and a quarter length victory under jockey Marco Casamento, who, himself, completed a treble on the day having ridden two winners earlier on the day. Injaaz Stud’s Tafaahum (QA) (Rio de La Plata) finished second for trainer Zuhair Mohsen and jockey Ronan Thomas. The Saeed Mohammed Shafi Al Shafi-owned and trained Kaswara (QA) (Pivotal) was two lengths and three quarters further behind in third under jockey JP Guillambert.
QREC Racing Manager, Abdulla Rashid Al Kubaisi, crowned the winners.
Smart Contender
Al Rufaa Racing’s Smart Contender (IRE) (Shamardal x Dark Liberty) got off the mark on his second start in Qatar, as he ‘smartly’ won the opener of the race meeting. Under jockey Marco Casamento, the Mohammed Ghazali trained 4YO gelding prevailed by two lengths and a quarter in the 2000m Handicap (0-65) for 3YO+ Thoroughbreds.
Ana Hadi
Noora Racing Limited’s Ana Hadi (IRE) (Equiano x Bahama Spirit) took the second race, the 1300m Maiden for 3YO Thoroughbreds, for trainer Hamad Al Jehani and jockey Szczepan Mazur, who was in the saddle for the one and a quarter length win.
Cloak And Dagger
In the third race, the 1300m Handicap (0-75) for 3YO+ Thoroughbred saw a very impressive effort from Fatima Bint Sultan Al Dosari’s Cloak And Dagger (IRE) (Lope De Vega x Redoutable) as the 7YO gelding bolted by seven lengths, recording a pillar-to-post victory under jockey Saleh Faraj Al Otaibi and giving trainer Mohammed Ghazali his second winner of the day.
Sha’alan
Trainer Mohammed Ghazali recorded a quick-fire double in the fourth race with his third winner on the day Al Ghazali Stud’s Sha’alan (FR) (Amer x Mizabelle) winning the 1300m Novice for 4YO+ Purebred Arabians by a length and a quarter under jockey Marco Casamento, who chalked up a double as well.
Afandem
In the fifth race, Nasser Hamad Al Naimi’s Afandem (AF AlBahar x Maboud) continued his excellent form with a second straight win as the Ahmed Kobeissi trained 6YO horse finished the 1300m Handicap (65-85) for 4YO+ Local Purebred Arabians two and a half lengths clear under jockey Pranil Arvind.
Almashahar
The penultimate race, the Handicap (0-75) for 4YO+ Purebred Arabians, saw another pillar-to-post victory as Hamad Ahmed Hassan Al Malki Al Jehani’s Almashahar (FR) (Dahess x Frynch) dominated the 2000m contest and found extra at the final bend to kick away and win by six and a half lengths under jockey Arnaud De Lepine, completing a double on the day for trainer Hamad Al Jehani.
Source: Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club