GROUP 1 EMIR’S SWORD

CHAMPION owner Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari, trainer Jassim Ghazali and jockey Harry Bentley combined to win the most valuable thoroughbred race run in Qatar, the local Group 1 HH The Emir’s Trophy with The Blue Boy, winner of the race in 2016.

Bought at Arqana back in 2014 for €400,000, the now six-year-old son of Dubawi added a further US$570,000 to his winnings, which exceeded £1 million before Saturday’s race. This was victory number 15 in his 25-race career and the win was greeted with huge enthusiasm on the course.

The German runner, the Andreas Wöhler-trained Noor Al Hawa, a son of Makfi, is a familiar sight racing in Doha. He won the Qatar Derby in 2016 and was runner-up in The Emir’s Trophy last year also. Drawn widest of all in the 16-runner field, he put up an outstanding performance to get so close to the winner, and he is a horse to watch in Europe this year.

Two other local group races featured on the card and were won by British raiders. The Anne Cowley-owned and bred Dark Angel colt Tip Two Win put himself in the picture for the European classics when he won for the second time in Doha, landing the Al Biddah Mile (local Group 2). This was his fourth win in seven starts and the Roger Teal-trainee who was a listed-winning juvenile in England.

Irishman David O’Meara got the evening’s thoroughbred action off to the best possible start when he saddled the Shadwell-bred Elnadim gelding to capture the Dukhan Sprint (local Group 3). The seven-year-old was unsold in October when he was sent to the sales in Newmarket and he rewarded his owner’s and trainer’s faith with a winning purse of US$142,500.

Siyouni sired the first two home in the remaining thoroughbred race on the card, won by Pazeer in the hands of Eduardo Pedroza. This was his seventh win in 11 starts over the course and 10-furlong trip since he moved to Qatar. He was runner-up in December’s Qatar Derby.

CENTRE STAGE FOR

IRELAND IN DOHA

WHILE there was no fairytale result for Gordon Lord Byron in the feature race last Friday, the local Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup, it was good to see the race annexed by an Irish-bred, the four-year-old Power gelding Pleaseletmewin. Owned by Innez Stud and trained by the champion Jassim Ghazali, the gelding was partnered by Martin Harley and brought up a treble on the night for his trainer. He was bred in Co Wicklow by Ballykilbride Stud.

The Irish Ambassador Paul Kavanagh, a noted horseracing enthusiast, flew in for the occasion and joined ITM’s Charles O’Neill to present trophies. O’Neill returned to Ireland after racing, leaving recent team recruit David Burns to represent the organisation for the remainder of the weekend.

A Group 3 winner for Ralph Beckett, Pleaseletmewin was then sold to race in Qatar for 450,000gns and victory here netted connections US$114,000, his second win since arriving. It was a close run thing for the winner, requiring the intervention of the judge to separate him from another Irish-bred, Vitally Important.

Oisin Murphy was among the winners when he won the opening thoroughbred race on the card, guiding the American-bred three-year-old Masked Defender to victory in a six-furlong conditions race. This win on turf was the colt’s second success and came a fortnight after he opened his account on dirt at the same venue.

The five-year-old Siyouni mare Mango Tango was back to winning ways in the mile fillies and mare race, having earlier in the season run up a sequence of three wins over 10 furlongs. The €400,000 2016 Arc Sale purchase was a Group 2 runner-up in France for Pascal Bary.

The thoroughbred race for local-breds was won by the improving Al Lusail, a four-year-old son of Footstepsinthesand who has now won three of his five starts and placed twice. His dam Gooey failed to win in 33 starts and once changed hands at Goffs for €1,500 – and then failed to be placed in nine starts in Ireland!

IRELAND FEATURES AT

OPENING NIGHT

THE three-day racing festival started with a meeting on Thursday evening, and the card was the usual mix of thoroughbred and Purebred Arabian races. Among the winners were a couple of Irish-breds.

The Moyglare Stud-bred Rich History, a Dubawi sibling to Free Eagle, won a handicap on the turf, a week after opening his account on dirt. The four-year-old beat the Mark Gittins-bred Alizoom, a son of Invincible Spirit.

The winner was the first leg of a double for jockey JP Guillambert who won later on the Dick Turpin gelding Receding Waves, bred in partnership by the Swinburn’s Genesis Green Stud and Irishman John Troy.

Racing is staged at the Al Rayyan track and a horse of the same name, an Irish-bred Danehill Dancer gelding owned by Mubarak Al Naemi, was an appropriate winner on the night. The Kilfrush Stud owner’s manager David Ryan and his wife Mary were on hand to welcome back the winner who previously raced in Britain and France. Tomas Lukasek was completing a double on the card.