Qatar- Injaaz Stud's Lekhraib lands sprint feature in thrilling finish

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) A thrilling finish that saw Injaaz Stud's Lekhraib land the Doha Cup at the post completed a good day in the office for father and son trainer duo Jassim Mohamed Ghazali and Mohamed Jassim Ghazali at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club's Al Rayyan Park yesterday.
The local Purebred Arabian conditions feature on dirt saw Marco Casamento astride the younger Ghazali's ward, and they held off a threatening challenge by Alban de Mieulle's charges Patrice Nicolet's Barra, ridden by Soufiane Saadi, and Umm Qarn's Sealine, helmed
by Ronan Thomas, by a short head.
Ghazali senior saddled two straight Thoroughbred Handicap winners yesterday.
First up was Injaaz Stud's Sir Commander, who went one better than his season opener to land the 1700m run on dirt in fine fashion.
Helmed by Casamento, the gelding managed to stay ahead of Thomas-ridden Zyzzyva for the length of the race, and then held off the challenge to win by a little more than a length.
Next up, in yet another 1700m run, JP Guillambert had Shaheen bin Khalid Shaheen al-Ghanim's Yaarmen stay close to the leader, Ghazali ward Roman Legend, helmed by Casamento. Coming on to the home straight, Yaarmen accelerated and eased past Roman Legend to win by five lengths.
In the penultimate race of the day, a Purebred Arabian Conditions event, Osama Omer al-Dafea's Baker De Saularie entered the winner's enclosure for the first time in a year as a brilliant ride by Mickael Berto saw the six-year-old land the 1800m run by a little less than two lengths.
The trainer-jockey combine of Majed Seifeddine and Alberto Sanna combined well for two victories yesterday.
In the Thoroughbred Handicap event for horses rated 70 and below, Sanna, riding in the colours of Rashid bin Mubarak al-Jafali al-Naimi, had Better Than Ever stay up front in the 1800m run and then pulled away on the straight for a handsome win by a little more than five lengths.
Earlier in the evening, Seifeddine-trained Safae and Saeed Mohamed al-Shafi-saddled Sheikha picked up contrasting maiden wins.
In the 1700m maiden for Arabians, Safae, helmed by Sanna managed to edge out Tomas Lukasek and his mount Monati by a head at the post, while Qatari apprentice rider Rashid Ali al-Marri rode to an easy win astride Sheikha in the Local Thoroughbred Maiden.
Another Qatari apprentice jockey, Meteb Ali al-Marri, opened the day with a victory astride Injaaz Stud's Faadi in the Local Purebred Arabian Novice event, before adding another win to his tally with a fine victory on Owaida Salem al-Hajri-trained Doha Incanto in the 1000m Thoroughbred Novice Plate sprint.

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