The Peninsula
Last year’s Al Rayyan Stakes winner Tip Two Win will be back for the Qatar Derby weekend in December, but will be gunning for the Group 1 Qatar Derby at the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC) according to the preliminary entries.
Trained by UK handler Roger Teal, the Anne Cowley-owned colt has been unbeaten around the Al Rayyan Park turf having won the Group 2 Al Biddah Mile during the HH The Amir’s Sword Festival earlier this year too.
Hugo Palmer, Charlie Fellowes and Mark Johnston are the other UK trainers who have entered their wards for the USD 500,000 race on December 22, 2018.
Palmer has Al Shaqab Racing’s Fajjaj in the 2000m race while Fellowes has four-time winner Escalator and Johnston has Aquarium, who has one victory over the distance.
Italian trainer Alduino Botti will be looking to make it two from two in the big derby for 3YOs and has entered Wait Forever to follow up with Mac Mahon’s victory last year.
The French are represented by Antoine De Watrigant saddled Mr Satchmo, who is coming off two listed victories, the last of which was over 1800m earlier in November. Irish handler Joseph Patrick O’Brien has entered Ming, owned by Mohammed Hamad Al Attiyah while his compatriot Jim Bolger has entered Theobald.
After saddling Parviz to third place last year, Waldemar Hickst of Germany has entered Sahelian, while Henk Grewe has Cheshmeh, the top-rated filly for this year’s race. Both horses are owned by Darius Racing.
Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari’s Anima Rock, second behind Tip Two Win on both occasions, will be hoping to one better this time for Qatar’s champion trainer Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi.
Al Thumama Racing’s Poets Dream too had been promising behind Tip Two Win and Anima Rock and has been entered by trainer Mohammed Hussain Afroz. For the seven-furlong Al Rayyan Stakes, Botti’s Mission Boy is the top rated horse, with competition from six UK trainers, including Johnston, Palmer, George Scott, Archie Watson, Stuart Williams and David Simcock.
Johnston’s Victory Command, three-time winner over the distance, will have Scott’s Concierge, Watson’s Quiet Endeavour, Williams’ Don Armado and Palmer’s James Street for company in the race for 2YOs.
Afroz has Al Thumama Racing’s Life Of Riley in the USD 100,000 race.
Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi has entered Easter De Faust, who has been unbeaten in her last four outings, in the Group 2 Qatar Derby for Purebred Arabians besides Al Shahania Stud’s top-rated Rajeh and Goumoh.
Rajeh, who was in training in France with Francois Rohaut, won Doha Cup last August in Deauville, was the runner-up to Rodess du Loup at Doncaster last month and came 7th in the Qatar Arabian World Cup at ParisLongchamp in October. Goumoh was also in training in France with Francois Rohaut and finished 5th at Doncaster when she was last seen.
Umm Qarn’s Aahil is the top rated Qatar-bred horse that has been entered by Alban Elie Marie De Mieulle. Aahil won three of his four outings so far, but in the last one of which he was disappointing though. The French trainer also has Al Kabeer besides other entries.
The race is a 2000m $150,000 contest.
Al Shaqab Racing’s Gtnah, trained by De Mieulle, is the top rated filly entered in the mile-long Group 3 Qatar Derby.
Also entered in the $100,000 race are Jassim Mohammed Ghazali Jahromi’s top rated colt Winne Taouy.