The Peninsula
Trainer Jassim Ghazali completed a hat-trick as he teamed up with jockey David Allan with Gold Fleece landing the Lisha Cup by winning the feature race for Thoroughbreds, a 2000m Handicap (0-90) in the 13th Al Uqda Meeting yesterday.
Gold Fleece’s triumph also gave her owner Nasser Saeed Al Eida a double on the card.
In a fast-paced race on dirt, Gold Fleece made a darting sprint towards the final 100m to leave behind the second-placed Hessdalen and third finisher High Commander. Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) Racing Manager, Abdulla Rashid Al Kubaisi crowned the winners of the Lisha Cup.
Earlier, Mansoor Ebrahim Al Mahmoud’s Semper Augustus won the 2200m Thoroughbred Handicap (0-75) for four-year-old+ impressively by four and a half lengths under Meteb Ali Al Marri, providing trainer Ghazali with a double on the card.
In the 1300m Handicap (0-75) for 3YO+ Thoroughbreds, Mohammed Abdulhadi Al Hajri’s Red Power clinched victory by a neck.
The Hamad Al Jehani-saddled 3YO gelding did well, under jockey Pranil Arvind, to overcome a wide draw. The Thoroughbred Novice Plate for Fillies & Mares saw a creditable performance from Nasser Saeed Al Eida’s Amenable as the Ghazali-trained seven-year-old mare shed her maiden tag, bolting up by four lengths under jockey JP Guillambert.
Sharida bin Nasser bin Sharida Al Kaabi’s Shgarde doubled his tally on 5th career start, winning the 1300m Purebred Arabians Novice Plate.
Szczepan Mazur rode the Mohamed Khaled Elahmed-trained four-year-old colt to a two-and-a-half-length victory.
The Lisha Cup Day was kick started by Al Ghariya (22) Racing’s Najashree of Qatar, who on his second start came up with an impressive showing to claim the 1300m Maiden for four-year-old Local Purebred Arabians by a whopping full six lengths under Lukas Delozier for trainer Zuhair Mohsen.
WINNERS
Horse, Trainer, Jockey
1 - Lisha Cup - Thoroughbred Handicap (Class 3)
Gold Fleece (GB), Jassim Ghazali, David Allan
2 - Thoroughbred Handicap (Class 5)
Semper Augustus (GB), Jassim Ghazali, Meteb Ali Al-Marri
3 - Thoroughbred Handicap (Class 5)
Red Power (IRE), Hamad Al Jehani, Pranil Arvind Kharat
4 - Thoroughbred Novice Plate
Amenable (USA), Jassim Ghazali, JP Guillambert
5 - Purebred Arabian Novice Plate
Shgarde (USA), Mohamed Khaled Elahmed, Szczepan Mazur
6 - Local Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate
Najashee (QA), Zuhair Mohsen, Lukas Delozier