Minister of Culture and Sports Crowns Winners of Founder's Cup and Trophy

Doha, December 13 (QNA) - HE Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali crowned the winners of the Late Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed bin Thani Trophy and Qatar National Day Cup at Al Rayyan Park on Saturday. While Al Shaqab Racing's AL NAAMA won the Late Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed bin Thani Trophy, Injaaz Stud's AL MUSTAFIZ won in the National Day Cup. Al Shaqab Racing mares and trainer Alban Elie Marie De Mieulle celebrated a one-two in the LATE SHEIKH JASSIM BIN MOHAMMED BIN THANI TROPHY (Gr2 PA) (Far Bend) (3yo & older) at Al Rayyan Park's turf track on Saturday as Soufiane Saadi guided AL NAAMA (Majd Al Arab x Entisar) to a fantastic victory. Al Naama, who had lined up for her longest distance in over a year at 2000m, and stablemate GTNAH (TM Fred Texas x Mayada), ridden by Qatari rider Faleh Bughanaim, were the only ladies in a high quality field. Closer home, Al Naama had a healthy gap on the other contenders and she had little trouble winning by a length and a quarter, as Gtnah finished runner up for the second straight time behind her stablemate. Julian Colin Smart-trained EBRAZ (Amer x Massamarie) rounded up the top three under Tomas Lukasek, riding in the colours of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Thani. Injaaz Stud's AL MUSTAFIZ (AF AlBahar x Djimana) was running seven furlongs for the first time since a C&D win almost two years ago. But the Zuhair Mohsen Zuhair Maki's ward was up for the task as the 7yo landed the NATIONAL DAY CUP LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN CONDITIONS (Far Bend) in a thrilling finish on Saturday. Soufiane Saadi had his mount midfield early on in the race, before picking up the pace on the home stretch and staying on the heels of Alban Elie Marie De Mieulle's wards, Barra and Aahil, who had taken a slight advantage between themselves. In the final 50m, dipping into his reserves, Al Mustafiz edged out Umm Qarn's AAHIL (Munjiz x Daniah), ridden by Ronan Thomas, to win the local Arabian feature by a neck, while BARRA (Munjiz x Daniah), helmed by Michael Forest in the colours of Patrice Alexandre Nicolet), finished third. Abdulhadi Mana Al Hajri's DARK PURSUIT (Pastoral Pursuits x Ogre) was well held on his last outing in November but a C&D return and a step up in class turned out to be exactly opposite for the gelding on Saturday. In the THOROUGHBRED CONDITIONS (Class 2) (Far Bend), the Stefano Ibido trained 4yo was ridden by JP Guillambert for the first time. The sprinter started the six furlong run the widest in Gate 10 but a minute and ten seconds later Guillambert and his partner had edged out Alberto Sanna ridden Arabic Channel by a neck for the bay horse's sixth career win. Rashid Bin Mubarak Aljafali Al Naimi's AL MOHALHAL (Acclamation x Secret Question) brushed aside a string of forgettable finishes to win for the first time in Qatar on Saturday. In the THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 3) (Far Bend) (75-95), the Majed Mahadi Seifeddine trained gelding had Alberto Sanna for company and the duo did enough in the miler to edge out Ivan Rossi ridden Monsieur Noir by three quarters of a length at the post. It was Al Mohalhal's second victory overall from 30 starts. Al Wasmiyah Farm's THINK BIG (Night Of Thunder x Avenue Montaigne) has only finished in the top two since his arrival in Qatar and the Georges Mikhalides trained colt only improved his strike rate further when he landed the THOROUGHBRED PLATE (3 Year Olds) (Class 3) (Far Bend) in thrilling fashion on Saturday. Tomas Lukasek, who had ridden the colt to a C&D victory in the season opener in October, was in saddle again as the duo went past the post three quarters of a length in front of Mickael Berto ridden Taxiwala. Al Thumama Racing's LIFE OF RILEY (Showcasing x Swan Wings) went one better than his last outing to win for the first time in Qatar. The Mohammed Hussain Afroz trained colt had finished runner up on many occasions in the past even as a win eluded the colt. On Saturday, with Killian Leonard in the saddle for the first time, the bay horse managed to produce a timely lunge at the post in a blanket finish to win the five furlong THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 3) (Far Bend) (75-95) sprint by a nose. Ahmed Hassan Al Malki Al Jehani's MORE THAN A DREAM (Halling x Chabelle) brushed aside a forgettable last season and a few lesser efforts early on this term to register his first win since January 2019. With Qatari rider Faleh Bughanaim in the saddle in the THOROUGHBRED HANDICAP (Class 3) (Far Bend) (70-90), the Hamad Ahmed Al Malki Al-Jehani trained 7yo was impressive at the business end of the 2000m run as he led a one-two for the trainer with JP Guillambert ridden Suprematism in second place by a length and a quarter. Salman Mohammned Alemadi's DJALNOR (No Risk Al Maury x Djalmina) stepped down to a mile on Saturday for the first time in Qatar, but the result was still the same. The 4yo colt opened his time in Qatar with wins over 2000m, and that run continued in the PUREBRED ARABIAN HANDICAP (Far Bend) (95 & below), when Qatari jockey Saleh Salem Al Marri guided the Mohammed Gassim Ghazali trained colt to a fine victory with a length and a quarter to spare. In the process, not only did the bay horse lead a one-two for the trainer, with Al Junood in second spot, but also completed a hat-trick this season. Al Shaqab Racing's AL EFREETA (Dahess x Dormadora) made a spectacular debut in Qatar with a dominant win in a miler on Saturday at Al Rayyan Park. The French recruit had two runner up finishes in Europe. With Ronan Thomas in the saddle for the first time, the Alban Elie Marie De Mieulle trained filly was unstoppable in the PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (4 Year Olds) (Far Bend) as she surged forward and was up and away on the home straight to go past the post five lengths in front of her rivals. In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali praised the good organization by the Racing and Equestrian Club for all the events it holds annually, adding that today's race bears a dear name to all Qataris: the founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani. His Excellency said that today's competitions for the Founder's Cup and Trophy, and the Messila heritage race were strong and exciting, especially the heritage race that simulates the sport of parents and grandparents in the past and the way horse races were conducted at that time. The Minister of Culture and Sports described today's race organized by the Club as good at organizational and technical level, stressing that there is a significant increase in the number of Qatari riders in the races held. For his part, Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al Attiyah, chairman of the Asian and Qatari equestrian federations, and vice chairman of the Racing and Equestrian Club, thanked HE the Minister of Culture and Sports for his presence and crowning of the winners, which had a good effect on the success of the great race. He said that today's race is one of the big races organized by the Club annually because it bears the name of the founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani. Meanwhile, Al Attiyah added that the Club has completed its preparation to organize the Qatar International Derby Festival next week, with a large participation of Qatari owners, as all owners have prepared for this race that will see no foreign participation due to the current conditions that the whole world is going through as a result of Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. He pointed out that the current season is one of the Club's most successful seasons, because it was held in exceptional circumstances in light of the pandemic, and despite that, the Club was keen to organize all competitions according to the announced program in accordance with strict precautionary measures aimed at the safety of all. (END)