Yet again, a Ghazali saddled the feature winner when Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Receding Waves won the Umm Al Houl Cup, yesterday’s feature for Thoroughbreds on the dirt track at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Rayyan Park. Champion trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali has won six Cups in the short season so far, and yesterday it was his son Mohamed’s turn to saddle a feature winner, and Receding Waves did just that under Marco Casamento.
Casamento and his partner beat Ghazali Senior’s ward, Astley Hall, by half-a-length to pick up a thrilling victory in the six-furlong sprint. It was Casamento’s second winner on the day, having earlier guided Ghazali Senior’s Perigee to Thoroughbred Handicap victory.
The champion trainer also had another winner in Lekhraib who edged out Hassan al-Matwi’s Raqee to top the Local Purebred Arabian Conditions event by a nose. Another highlight of the day was when Qatari jockeys rode the top three horses in the Thoroughbred Handicap event for fillies and mares. Meteb Ali al-Marri rode Bint Saffian to victory in the 1200m run ahead of brother, Rashid, who helmed Reem Seattle to a close second. In third was Sylvia Pankhurst that had Saleh Salem al-Marri in the saddle.
Soufiane Saadi was astride Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani-saddled Akmar when the French-bred four-year-old won an Arabian claiming race for the second straight week. Earlier in the day, Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Fuwairat was ridden to his first career win by Eduardo Pedroza in the Arabian maiden race, while Stefano Ibido-saddled Dorman Bu Thaila shed his maiden status among the local Thoroughbreds under Ivan Rossi. The Arabian graduation event saw Osama Omer al-Dafea’s Baker De Saularie emerge as the 10th winner of the season for jockey Ryan Curatolo.

RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Fuwairat (Eduardo Pedroza), 2. Razad (Soufiane Saadi), 3. Full Risk De Lassos (Al Moatasem al-Balushi), 4. Nashmi Brooq (Rashid Ali al-Marri). Won by: 1 ¾, 7 ¼, 11. Time: 2:14.84. Owner: Sheikh Faisal bin Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani. Trainer: Ibrahim al-Malki.
Race 2: 1. Dorman Bu Thaila (Ivan Rossi), 2. Al Hadah (Fausto Henrique), 3. Faris (Jimmy Quinn), 4. Sky Blue (Eduardo Pedroza). Won by: ¾, 4 ¾, ¼. Time: 1:53.20. Owner: Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri. Trainer: Stefano Ibido.
Race 3: 1. Baker De Saularie (Ryan Curatolo), 2. AJS Al Moheeb (Anas al-Seyabi), 3. Bsheer (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Badda (Ronan Thomas). Won by: ¼, Nk, 1 ¼. Time: 1:59.78. Owner: Osama Omer al-Dafea. Trainer: Osama Omer al-Dafea.
Race 4: 1. Bint Saffian (Meteb Ali al-Marri), 2. Reem Seattle (Rashid Ali al-Marri), 3. Sylvia Pankhurst (Saleh Salem al-Marri), 4. Hard Forest (JP Guillambert). Won by: No, 1 ¾, 1. Time: 1:13.59. Owner: Al Azraq Stable. Trainer: Bader al-Balushi.
Race 5: 1. Perigee (Marco Casamento), 2. Alizoom (Jimmy Quinn), 3. Yvanlend (Anas al-Seyabi), 4. Daneyan (JP Guillambert). Won by: 2 ½, 1 ½, 5. Time: 2:02.60. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 6: 1. Akmar (Soufiane Saadi), 2. Hathlool (Ryan Curatolo), 3. Diese (Ronan Thomas), 4. Marjan (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam). Won by: 1 ½, 2 ¼, 12. Time: 2:08.09. Owner: Mohamed Nasser al-Nuaimi. Trainer: Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani.
Race 7: 1. Lekhraib (JP Guillambert), 2. Raqee (Eduardo Pedroza), 3. Nomas Al Shajaa (Ali Khalid al-Mosallam), 4. Yanar (Marco Casamento). Won by: No, 5 1/4, 2 1/2. Time: 1:19.81. Owner: Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Mohamed Ghazali.
Race 8: 1. Receding Waves (Marco Casamento), 2. Astley Hall (Al Moatasem al-Balushi), 3. Cristofano Allori (Faleh Bughanaim), 4. Victory Laurel (Anas al-Seyabi). Won by: 1/2, 5, 3/4. Time: 1:12.28. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari. Trainer: Mohamed Jassim Ghazali.
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