Alberto Sanna steers September Leaves to victory in the Al Ghariyah Cup at Al Rayyan Racecourse yesterday. PIC: Juhaim/QREC
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s domestic season got off to a thrilling start with a series of competitive races at the opening Al Rayyan meeting, where September Leaves claimed the Al Ghariyah Cup for Al Eida Racing yesterday.
The five-year-old bay mare produced a determined finish to win the 1200m Thoroughbred Fillies & Mares contest, making steady progress from the rear in the home straight before asserting inside the final 100m to score by 1½ lengths.
Trained by Gassim Al Ghazali and ridden by Alberto Sanna, September Leaves secured the fifth victory of her career. QREC Racing Manager Abdulla bin Rashid Al-Kubaisi presented the Al Ghariyah Cup.
The meeting also saw trainer Hamad Al-Jehani record three wins, while Al Ghazali and Sanna each celebrated a double, with September Leaves providing their feature-race success.
Toromona, trained by Al-Jehani and ridden by Lukas Delozier, produced one of the most emphatic performances of the day, winning the Thoroughbred Handicap 75-95 by 7½ lengths.
Jalila Alghania, trained by Hadi Al Ramzani and ridden by Youssef Lachhab, won the Purebred Arabian Handicap 70-90 by 4½ lengths.
Al-Jehani added another victory when Guindol Dei Ribo, ridden by Nicolas Baudet, won the Purebred Arabian Novice by a length.
Lord Deputy gave Al Ghazali his second win of the meeting, with Marco Casamento in the saddle, taking the Thoroughbred Handicap 50-70 by 6½ lengths.
Bin Narain, trained by Jihad El Ahmad and ridden by Sanna, won the Local Thoroughbred Maiden by seven lengths.
Classical Style, trained by Hamad Ahmed Hassan Al Malki and ridden by Baudet, edged the Thoroughbred Maiden by a nose.
Al-Jehani’s first win of the day came when Lady De Faust, ridden by Arnaud De Lepine, won the Purebred Arabian Maiden by 1¾ lengths.
Today’s Al Hamla Cup meeting will feature nine races.
FIRST AL RAYYAN MEETING
AL GHARIYAH CUP
WINNERS: Horse, Trainer, Jockey
Al Ghariyah Cup, Thoroughbred
September Leaves, Gassim Al Ghazali, Alberto Sanna
Thoroughbred Handicap 75-95
Toromona, Hamad Al-Jehani, Lukas Delozier
Purebred Arabian Handicap 70-90
Jalila Alghania, Hadi Al Ramzani, Youssef Lachhab
Purebred Arabian Novice
Guindol Dei Ribo, Hamad Al-Jehani, Nicolas Baudet
Thoroughbred Handicap 50-70
Lord Deputy, Gassim Al Ghazal, Marco Casamento
Local Thoroughbred Maiden
Bin Narain, Jihad El Ahmad, Alberto Sanna
Thoroughbred Maiden
Classical Style, Hamad Ahmed Hassan Al Malki, Nicolas Baudet
Purebred Arabian Maiden
Lady De Faust, Hamad Al-Jehani, Arnaud De Lepine
