Alkass Digital
HE President of Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani crowned the first place winners of the 32nd horse racing competitions for His Excellency's Rifle Race day.
The race included 10 runs on the grass track of the Racing and Equestrian Club in Al Rayyan.
HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani also crowned the winners of the first places in the heritage race.
Al Wasmiyah Farm's Noor Al Hawa won the grand prize HE Sheikh Joaan's Rifle for the second year in a row with a fantastic front-running victory by almost four lengths in the 2200m contest for 4YO+ Thoroughbreds, recording a double on the day for Al Wasmiyah Farm, trainer Georges Mikhalides and jockey Alberto Sanna. The nine-year-old superstar not only recorded his eighth straight win, but also succeeded in defending his title from last year and returned to keep for the second year in a row; a feat which he shared with the same owner, the same trainer and the same jockey. The Injaaz Stud-owned and Zuhair Mohsen-trained HELLENISTIQUE, who was the runner-up in the same race last year, filled the same spot in this year’s renewal but was ridden this time by Maxime Guyon. David Allan guided Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari’s KING PACHA (IRE) (Acclamation), saddled by Gassim Ghazali, to a third-place finish.
Al Shaqab's Mawared continued dazzling with a second black-type victory and sixth straight win in seven career starts. The 6YO clinched the HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy, a Gr3 2200m contest for 4YO+ Purebred Arabians, by a neck, completing a double for jockey Soufiane Saadi and extending the impressive success of trainer Alban de Mieulle to five wins on the day. The winner just edged Umm Qarn’s ABBES (FR) (TM Fred Texas), ridden by Ronan Thomas, for Alban de Mieulle who recorded a brilliant one-two. H.E. Sheikha Reem M K Al-Thani-owned and Rudy Andre Nerbonne-trained superstar EBRAZ (Amer) was third under Maxime Guyon.
In statements following the end of the race, President of the Qatar Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon Federation Badr Mohammad Al Darwish underlined that the attendance of HE President of Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani and his coronation of the winners encourage horse owners and riders and confirm his great support for the Qatari equestrian.
Al Darwish praised the distinguished atmosphere that dominated today's race, noting that the competitions were intense, as expected.