+ A
A -
Raajiv Tripathi
DOHA
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Thani-owned Gazwan defended the Qatar Gold Sword for Group 1 Purebred Arabians with a fantastic kick at the finish line, beating Yazeed by less than a length at the 42nd Race Meeting on Thursday.
At the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club Racecourse in New Al Rayyan, Christian Demuro and the seven-year-old gray horse repeated the prestigious Emir's Sword (Gr 1 PA) victory in February this year. The third place was claimed by stablemate Ebraz, completing a superb 1-3 for trainer Julian Smart.
This was the second victory in a row for Gazwan in Doha this season. It was the 11th triumph for the highest rated horse in 14 races. Only once Gazwan has finished out of the podium, getting a fourth spot in the 2017 Emir's Sword race.
But he had bounced back to clinch the next race, which the Qatar Gold Sword.
Yazeed, an Umm Qarn horse with Theo Bachelot astride, tried hard to get the better of Gazwan but he hung on to his charge and came home to a great joy of his fans.
Spaghetti, ridden by Harry Bentley, was fourth, 11 lengths behind the trio.
The same four had topped in this year's Emir's Sword race but at that time Gazwan and Ebraz had wrapped up a brilliant 1-2. This time, Yazeed contrived to split the two.
Earlier, Quelindo, ridden by Carlo Fiocchi, bagged the Qatar Gold Trophy Group 1 race over 2,200m, another big event of the meeting. The six-year-old bay horse faced a stiff battle from Galactic Prince and star British rider Harry Bentley.
Quelindo just found something extra near the finish line and contrived a pulsating half-length triumph. Qatari Gold (Gerald Avranche) was third by over one a half lengths, while Otwo and Khataaf came fourth and fifth, respectively.
This was the first victory in four runs in Doha for Quelindo, owned by engineer Hassan Ali al Abdulmalik and a ward of Deborah Mountain. Highest rated entry Pazeer failed to live up to his billing and finished sixth. However, Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi-trained Galactic Prince put up a superb show to get the runner-up honour.
The meeting was dominated by the trio of owner Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari, rider Bentley and trainer Jahromi. They clinched three races together, while the trainer and rider had the fourth one in the Qatar Silver Sword.
Top-rated Jethjath and Bentley were in full control of the 1,850m race and defeated Abercrombie (Eduardo Pedroza) by three and a half lengths to emerge the winners. The four-year-old bay gelding was also second in the Emir's Silver Sword race in February to stablemate Easter Du Faust. Overall, this is his first victory in four runs in Doha.
Bentley guided Deebaj to her first triumph in Doha when the five-year-old won the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate, beating E'zaaz by less than five lengths. The British rider's other two wins came through Izzthatright in the Sealine Sprint Trophy and Mualah in the Al Wajba Trophy.
Other winners were Moaddie (Bachelot) in the Local Thoroughbreds and Molheb Al Naif (Avranche) in the Qatar Silver Trophy 1,600m.
Results
42nd Race Meeting (turf)
PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE 1,400m
Prize Money (USD): 1st 17,100 2nd 6,600 3rd 3,300
1. Deebaj (Harry Bentley), 2. E’zaaz (JP Guillambert), 3. Ezaajh (Theo Bachelot)
Won by 4.75, 0.25, 0.75. Time 1:30.09
Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi
QATAR SILVER SWORD 1,850m
Prize Money (USD): 1st 85,500 2nd 33,000 3rd 16,500 4th 9,000 5th 6,000.
1.Jethjath (Harry Bentley), 2. Abercrombie (Eduardo Pedroza), 3. Djahab (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Evolution Du Croate (Carlo Fiocchi), 5. Fajr (Rosauro R Ponce)
Won by 3.5, 0.75, nose, 5.75. Time 2:02.37
Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi
LOCAL THOROUGHBREDS 1,850m
Prize Money (USD): 1st 45,600 2nd 17,600 3rd 8,800
1. Moaddie (Theo Bachelot), 2. Cannon (Cristian Demuro), 3. Al Lusail (Faleh Bughanaim)
Won by nose, 0.5, 2. Time 1:54.27
Owner: Ahmed Hassan al Malki al Jehani. Trainer: Hamad Ahmed al Malki al Jehani
SEALINE SPRINT TROPHY 1,200m
Prize Money (USD): 1st 45,600 2nd 17,600 3rd 8,800
1. Izzthatright (Harry Bentley), 2. Anima Rock (Marc Lerner), 3, Receding Waves (JP Guillambert)
Won by 1.75, 1.75, 1. Time 1:09.62
Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi
AL WAJBA TROPHY 1,850m
Prize Money (USD): 1st 45,600 2nd 17,600 3rd 8,800
1. Mualah (Harry Bentley), 2. Berkeley Square (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Es’hail (Gerald Avranche)
Won by 2.5, nose, 4. Time 1:52.29
Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi
QATAR SILVER TROPHY 1,600m
Prize Money (USD): 1st 45,600 2nd 17,600 3rd 8,800
1. Molheb Al Naif (Gerald Avranche), 2. Sharesa (Stephan Ladjadj), 3. Majeed (O.Peslier)
Won by 1, 1.75, 1. Time 1:42.62
Owner: Al Naif Racing. Trainer: Yousef ben Taher Mehaoued
QATAR GOLD TROPHY (Gr 1) 2,200m
Prize Money (USD): 1st 142,500 2nd 55,000 3rd 27,500 4th 15,000 5th 10,000.
1. Quelindo (Carlo Fiocchi), 2. Galactic Prince (Harry Bentley), 3. Qatari Gold (Gerald Avranche), 4. Otwo (Cristian Demuro), 5. Khataaf (Saleem Golam)
Won by 0.5, 1.75, 2, 0.75, short head. 2:14.99
Owner: Eng Hassan Ali al Abdulmalik. Trainer: Deborah Mountain
QATAR GOLD SWORD (Gr1 PA) 2,000m
Prize Money (USD): 1st 142,500 2nd 55,000 3rd 27,500 4th 15,000 5th 10,000.
1. Gazwan (Cristian Demuro), 2. Yazeed (O.Peslier), 3. Ebraz (Theo Bachelot), 4. Spaghetti (Harry Bentley), 5.Aaley Al Magam (JP Guillambert)
Won by 0.75, 0.5, 11, 7.75, 10.5. Time 2:09.84
Owner: HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart
