Qatar- Noor Al Hawa beats top field to win Sheikh Joaan Rifle

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Al Wasmiyah Farm's Noor Al Hawa beat a top-notch field to win the HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Rifle and stay unbeaten this season, even as HE Sheikha Yasmeen MK al-Thani's Mon'nia won the Group 3 feature for Arabians in comfortable fashion at the Al Rayyan Park turf on Thursday.

In the USD 100,000 feature for four-year-old and older Thoroughbreds, Alberto Sanna had Georges Mikhalides-saddled Noor Al Hawa, winner of a Group 2 and a Listed event earlier in the season, track early leaders coming out of Gate 3. In the final two furlongs, Sanna prodded his mount forward on the outside and edged out Marco Casamento-ridden Hellenistique, owned by Injaaz Stud and trained by Zuhair Mohsen, by a length for a memorable victory.

In the penultimate race on Thursday, the USD 100,000 HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy (Group 3 PA) for four-year-old and older Arabians, Julian Smart ward Mon'nia registered her first Group level success with ease. A brilliant turn of foot on the home straight saw Tomas Lukasek and his mount off and away coming on to the home straight to win with three lengths to spare. Soufiane Saadi ridden Al Naama finished second in the colours of Al Shaqab Racing.

The success was the second of the day for Smart and Lukasek together, having won the local Arabian novice event with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani's Khatafaynee earlier in the evening. Khatafaynee was in the rear half early on in the seven-furlong run. As the field widened, coming on to the final straight, Lukasek and his mount made a move on the outside to surge forward and win by a length at the post.

In the third USD 100,000 race of the evening, Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik's Tarek Du Soleil was guided to a close victory by Faleh Bughanaim. The Deborah Mountain-saddled colt registered his first win in Qatar, while the Qatari jockey notched his seventh winner of the season.

Marco Casamento rode three winners on Thursday, including Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Attiyah's Ateej in the HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy, a miler for Arabians. Jassim Ghazali-trained Ateej was locked in a duel with Alban de Mieulle-trained Al Efreeta in the final furlong, and while Ronan Thomas and his mount stayed neck-and-neck, Ateej edged them out by quarter-of-a-length.

Earlier in the day, Ali bin Thamer bin Ali al-Mehshadi's Khanoor shed her maiden status with a fine win in the card-opener for local Purebred Arabians under Casamento. Mohsen and Casamento celebrated another win when Injaaz Stud's Izzthatright sprinted to a thrilling victory in the HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for three-year-old and older Thoroughbreds.

Sanna was astride Stefano Ibido-trained winner, Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri's Dominus, in the seven-furlong HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for four-year-old and older Thoroughbreds.

Abdulatif Hussain Al Emadi's Black Pearl improved his strike rate when the Bader al-Balushi-saddled gelding won for the eighth time in 11 starts. The five-year-old was helmed to victory in HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for local Thoroughbreds by Soufiane Saadi.

Mohamed Hussain's charge Soldierpoy has had a fantastic season, coming into Thursday's HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for three-year-old Thoroughbreds on the back of a hat-trick including the Al Rayyan Stakes last month. Thursday the bay son of Sepoy extended his unbeaten run after Jason Watson guided him to a sensational victory by a neck in the seven-furlong run.

RESULTS

Race 1: LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN MAIDEN PLATE (Distance: 1,600m)

1. Khanoor (Marco Casamento), 2. Mubadir (Michael Forest), 3. Zaman (Francois Herholdt), 4. Maysoon Al Naif (JP Guillambert). Won by: 1 ½, 3 ½, 2. Time: 1:45.36. Owner: Ali bin Thamer bin Ali al-Mehshadi. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen.

Race 2: LOCAL PUREBRED ARABIAN NOVICE CUP (Distance: 1,400m)

1. Khatafaynee (Tomas Lukasek), 2. AJS Berline (Alberto Sanna), 3. Awamir (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Shaweesh (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: 1, 4, 2 ¼. Time: 1:30.67. Owner: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.

Race 3: H.E. SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD AL THANI TROPHY (T/B) (3YO & OLDER) (Distance: 1,200m)

1. Izzthatright (Marco Casamento), 2. Taxiwala (JP Guillambert), 3. Arabic Channel (Alberto Sanna), 4. Skip The Queue (Tomas Lukasek). Won by: Nk, ½, Nk. Time: 1:09.27. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Zuhair Mohsen.

Race 4: H.E. SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD AL THANI TROPHY (3YO T/B) (Distance: 1,400m)

1. Soldierpoy (Jason Watson), 2. Thunderstone (Alberto Sanna), 3. Devious Company (Michael Forest), 4. US Cliff (Soufiane Saadi). Won by: Nk, 1 ¼, 1. Time: 1:22.96. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Hussain.

Race 5: H.E. SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD AL THANI TROPHY (L T/B) (4YO & OLDER) (Distance: 1,850m)

1. Black Pearl (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Equinoxe (Ronan Thomas), 3. Shaman Bu Thaila (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Al Lusail (Alberto Sanna). Won by: ½, 2 ½, 1 ½. Owner: Abdulatif Hussain al-Emadi. Trainer: Bader al-Balushi.

Race 6: H.E. SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD AL THANI TROPHY (T/B) (4YO & OLDER) (Distance: 1,400m)

1. Dominus (Alberto Sanna), 2. Zarandi (Tomas Lukasek), 3. Hydroxide (Michael Forest), 4. Sam Langford (Jason Watson). Won by: ½, ¾, Hd. Time: 1:22.20. Owner: Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri. Trainer: Stefano Ibido.

Race 7: H.E. SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD AL THANI TROPHY (P/A) (Distance: 1,600m)

1. Ateej (Marco Casamento), 2. Al Efreeta (Ronan Thomas), 3. Methgal (Tomas Lukasek), 4. Evolution Du Croate (JP Guillambert). Won by: ¼, 1, 1 ¼. Time: 1:43.15. Owner: Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Attiyah. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali.

Race 8: H.E. SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD AL THANI TROPHY (4YO P/A) (Distance: 1,850m)

1. Tarek Du Soleil (Faleh Bughanaim), 2. Hadjira De Flauzins (Marco Casamento), 3. First Classs (Ronan Thomas), 4. Hidalgo Du Croate (Jason Watson). Won by: Nk, 3 ½, ½. Time: 2:02.10. Owner: Hassan Ali al-Abdulmalik. Trainer: Deborah Mountain.

Race 9: H.E. SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD AL THANI TROPHY (Gr3 PA) (4YO & OLDER) (Distance: 2,200m)

1. Mon'nia (Tomas Lukasek), 2. Al Naama (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Ginkeau (Alberto Sanna), 4. Dawi (Francois Herholdt). Won by: 3, 1 ¼, 1. Time: 2:24.32. Owner: HE Sheikha Yasmeen MK al-Thani. Trainer: Julian Smart.

Race 10: H.E. SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD AL THANI RIFLE (4YO & OLDER T/B) (Distance: 2,200m)

1. Noor Al Hawa (Alberto Sanna), 2. Hellenistique (Marco Casamento), 3. Seeyoubyme (Ivan Rossi), 4. The Blue Eye (Jason Watson). Won by: 1, 2 ½, 2 ¼. Time: 2:12.58. Owner: Al Wasmiyah Farm. Trainer: Georges Mikhalides.

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