The Qatar Gold Sword was presented to H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and H E Sheikh Al Qaqa bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani by Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Chairman Issa bin Mohamed Al Mohannadi after Wathnan Racing’s Abbes secured the Qatar Gold Sword for the third consecutive year. PICTURES: JUHAIM/QREC
Al Rayyan: On an evening marked by four memorable victories for Wathnan Racing at the prestigious Al Rayyan Racecourse, Abbes secured the Qatar Gold Sword for the third consecutive year. The victory capped off a remarkable day for owners Wathnan Racing, trainer Alban de Mieulle, and jockey James Doyle.
The gray horse's triumph capped a magnificent day for Wathnan Racing, claiming the esteemed US$250,000 race.
The Qatar Gold Trophy was presented to H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and H E Sheikh Al Qaqa bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani by Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Chairman Issa bin Mohamed Al Mohannadi following the victory of Wathnan Racing’s Bolthole in the QA Gr1 race for Thoroughbreds.
The British jockey Doyle tactfully bided his time until the final 200 meters of the 2000-meter race to unleash Abbes's impressive acceleration. Crossing the finish line three-quarters of a length ahead, Abbes outpaced Dawi, owned by H E Sheikha Iman MK Al Thani and trained by Rudy Andre Nerbonne, who secured second place.
Methgal, representing H E Sheikha Reem MK Al Thani, claimed the third position in the feature of the 41st Al Rayyan Meeting.
The Qatar Gold Sword was presented to H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and H E Sheikh Al Qaqa bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani by Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC) Chairman Issa bin Mohamed Al Mohannadi.
Jockey James Doyle guides Wathnan Racing’s Abbes to victory in the Qatar Gold Sword race.
Earlier, Bolthole clinched the QA Gr1 Qatar Gold Trophy as Wathnan Racing, Alban de Mieulle, and Doyle secured their third win of the day. The five-year-old horse settled in mid-position throughout the 2200m race for the four-year-old+ Thoroughbreds and once in the straight, he came with a powerful charge from outside to overtake the leaders and win by over two lengths over Hamad Al Jehani's schooled stud-mate Haunted Dream.
The winning trio had their second winner on the day as they teamed up to good effect with the eight-year-old Bakir, who won the 1600m race for four-year-old+ Local Purebred Arabians by a length ahead of his nearest rival.
The first win of the evening for the trio came when Equinoxe once again showed his class, winning the Local Thoroughbred Cup for the fourth straight year. The Alban de Mieulle-trained seven-year-old star came with a sweep in the home straight to take the 1850m race for the four-year-old+ impressively by three and a half lengths, exactly as he did last year, under Doyle.
Earlier, AJS Lattam secured the Qatar Silver Sword for Al Jeryan Stud for the second consecutive year, maintaining their title. Trainer MHK Al Attiyah and jockey Szczepan Mazur celebrated their second victory of the evening, guiding the black colt to a wire-to-wire triumph in the 1850m race for four-year-old Purebred Arabians, clinching the win by a half-length margin.
Aafoor won the Al Wajba Trophy for Al Jeryan Stud when the chestnut colt emerged victorious in the 1850m competition for three-year-old Thoroughbreds. The Al Attiyah trained and jockey Mazur-ridden horse narrowly defeated the resilient Greer by a short head.
Jockey James Doyle and Wathnan Racing’s Bolthole on their way to win the Qatar Gold Sword - QA Gr1 race for Thoroughbreds.
Taxiwala, owned and trained by Osama Omer Al Dafea, also impressed by securing the Sealine Sprint Trophy for the fourth consecutive time. The seven-year-old showcased his speed once again in the 1200m open race for four-year-old and above Thoroughbreds, triumphing by a length and a half under jockey Maxime Guyon.
In the opening race of the evening, Al Shaqab Racing's Lafan made a winning debut in the Purebred Arabian Premium Maiden Cup. Trained by Jean de Mieulle and ridden by Valentin Seguy, Lafan dominated the 1600m contest for four-year-olds, crossing the finish line three-quarters of a length ahead.
On the same occasion, QREC Chairman Al Mohannadi crowned the Al Sabiq Championship winners Mohamed Fahad Al Khayareen Al Hajri, Abdulaziz Ahmed Al Ojaan Al Khayareen, Salem Salem Al Marri and Rashid Mohamed Ali Abdulla.
