Mohamed Saad

In the race meeting conducted on turf at QREC Al Rayyan Racecourse on Thursday, 28th March 2024, the best was saved until the feature race of the day and the closing contest on the card, the Al Britha Cup, a 1500m Class 4 Graduation Plate for three-year-old Local Thoroughbred. Wadi Bu Thaila (QA) (Expert Eye x Lisbet) galloped his rivals into the ground to win by brilliant ten lengths scoring for the second straight time on his third career start and completing a double in the evening for the trio, owner Wathnan Racing, trainer Alban de Mieulle and jockey Soufiane Saadi, who marked their stamp on both the day’s opener and finale. The Ahmed Hassan Al Malki Al Jehani-owned and Hamad Al-Jehani-trained Madinat Bu Thaila (QA) (Kodiac) finished second under jockey Arnaud De Lepine. The H.E. Meshaal Bin Ali M A Al-Attiyah-owned and Mohammed Ghazali-trained Bint Al Hareth (QA) (Al Hareth) finished further seven lengths behind in third under jockey Marco Casamento. QREC Racing Manager, Abdulla Rashid Al Kubaisi, presented the trophies to the winners.

Arman

The meeting opened with a great display of front running from Soufiane Saadi on Arman (QA) (Amer x Qatar Sun), trained by Alban de Mieulle. The pair led all the way, stringing out the field and taking the 1500m Class 6 Maiden Plate for four-to-six-year-old Local Purebred Arabians by eight and a half lengths. At his third time of asking the Wathnan Racing-owned four-year-old grey colt confirmed his promising career start as he finished third and fourth in his two previous starts to eventually break his duck this time, having benefited from the experience of those two attempts.

AJS Monya

Trainer M.H.K Al Attiyah got his name on the scoresheet in the 1400m Class 6 Maiden Plate for three-year-old Purebred Arabians when he saddled, AJS Monya (QA) (Mahabb x Gallia De Faust), owned and bred Al Jeryan Stud made a nice debut to win comfortably by two and a half lengths with jockey Mohammed Tabti in the saddle. The chestnut filly grey looks one to keep an eye on in the future.

Hemian

The 1750m Class 5 Novice Plate for four-year-old and older Purebred Arabians went to trainer Jean de Mieulle’s Hemian (FR) (Al Mourtajez x Hothour), as jockey Faleh Bughanaim produced the four-year-old grey filly, owned and bred by Al Shaqab Racing, with a scintillating run up in the final stages to take the race by half a length.

Glengarra

Trainer Saleh Naji SH A Al Yafei and jockey Saleh Faraj Al-Otaibi teamed up with the Al Thumama Racing-owned Glengarra (IRE) (Profitable x Puzzled) to take the 1750m Class 4 Thoroughbred Handicap for three-year-olds and older rated 60-80 halfway of the evening. It was a thrilling finish as the winner held off the charge of his two close challengers and chasers by a neck and a head respectively. The runner-up was the Ibrahim Mohammed M I Al-Fadala-owned and Hamad Al-Jehani-trained Al Mehrab (GB) (Zarak), who was ridden by Szczepan Mazur, while the third placed was the Khalid Rashid Al Mohannadi-owned and Rashid Al Jehani-trained Al Kharaitiyat (FR) (Toronado), who was ridden by Jefferson Smith.

Gold Fleece

It was an impressive performance in the 2350m Class 3 Thoroughbred Handicap for four-year-olds and older rated70-90 by the Nasser Saeed Al Eida-owned and Gassim Ghazali-trained Gold Fleece (GB) (Nathaniel x Conquete). Jockey Louis Nomis was on board the eight-year-old bay mare as he stretched nicely clear in the final stages to win by three lengths clear.

Ilasad

Faleh Bughanaim rode his second winner of the evening as he steered Ilasad (FR) (AF AlBahar x Vetlana De Faust) to get back to winning ways in the Class 2 Handicap for four-year-old and older Purebred Arabians rated80-100. The five-year-old chestnut horse, bred and owned by Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Abdulla Al-Attiya, seemed to appreciate the drop to 1200m and he ran on strongly close home to win by a length for trainer Ahmed Kobeissi.