(MENAFN- Gulf Times) For the second straight year, an Amer colt, trained by Thomas Fourcy and ridden by Julien Auge in the silks of Al Shaqab Racing, ran a commanding race to win the Qatar Pure Arabian Derby at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club turf.
After Mister Ginoux's brilliant run last year, yesterday, Aba'ath brushed aside the competition to win the mile long event, which had a prize purse of USD 100,000.
TM Majid Texas, Secret Angel and Civaldi De Montegut jostled for lead early on, while Auge, who rode the same colt to a win in their last race in Toulouse, France, two months ago, held Aba'ath back till the action moved on to the home straight.
With a furlong to go, Aba'ath was already in lead, which kept increasing till he made it to the post seven lengths ahead of Al Jeryan Stud duo Almuheet, winner in the Derby Trial earlier this month, and Majdan.
"It's a fantastic bit of history that we are making at the Qatar Derby," Auge told Gulf Times. "To win the Derby for the second straight year; it's such a good time. "He is a good horse who held back when I wanted him to and then took off as the finish line approached."
Asked about Aba'ath as a racehorse compared to Mister Ginoux, who is set to start stud duties, Auge was very excited. "I do think he (Aba'ath) is better. They are not the same kind of horses but I think with a little bit of work, Aba'ath is set for big things."
Hamad Adel al-Muslimani's Bronze Maquette produced an encore of the run that won her the Oaks Trial a month ago to win the Qatar Oaks for Thoroughbreds, a Class 1 race for three-year-old fillies.
The Dark Angel progeny, trained by Mohamed Hussain, was third in the 11-horse field on to the home straight, but a fine gallop, with Tadgh O'Shea at the helm, quickly saw her move past leader Akeed Misk to a two and a half-length victory.
"There was no hurry to get into the lead because I know that she gallops well on to the straight," Hussain said.
"So that was the plan.
"She ran well in the Oaks Trial and with this 2000m coming up, I let her rest for the month. She was fresh and she showed what she is capable of. I am so happy with her win."
O'Shea added: "She has such a potent turn of foot and that was evident today. A brilliant victory." Qatar Oaks for local Thoroughbreds belonged to Tanja Bu Thaila, owned by Abdulhadi Mana al-Hajri.
The three-year-old filly, ridden by Marco Monteriso, picked up her first career victory in her third outing, finishing ahead of Oaks Trials winner Abrar.
Tanja Bu Thaila, trained by S Ibido, went into the lead and as the post approached steadily increased her lead to finish four lengths ahead of Zuhair Mohsen's chestnut filly.
English raider Perkunas snatched a fine victory from Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari's Astley Hall with a turn of foot that propelled the two-year-old gelding from the back of the pack into the spotlight in the Al Rayyan Stakes for two-year-old thoroughbreds.
Astley Hall had taken the lead in the 1400m event, which had a purse of USD 100,000, early on and looked like the Mohamed Jassim Ghazali-trained colt would take a narrow win but Perkunas, ridden by Jamie Spencer, stepped out and began his raid as the action moved into the final two furlongs.
The Sibbertoft Bloodstock Limited's gelding zoomed past the field and soon Astley Hall was left behind too as Perkunas took a two-length victory.
The win for Brian Meehan was a first for a Europe-based trainer in Qatar. In one of the most thrilling race on the day, Secret Tale survived a big scare by Regality, edging out Mansoor Ibrahim al-Mahmood's filly by the tiniest of margins that must have sent the stewards zooming in down to the final pixel for a decision in the Qatar Nursery Stakes, a six furlong event for two-year-old fillies.
Jockey Seb Sanders, riding Ahmed Kobeissi's charge Secret Tale out of Gate 9, moved into the lead and had built a healthy one with 300m to go.
Gerald Avranche, riding Regality, hit the button just then and the filly treated the audiences to an amazing turn of foot that had Sanders looking over his shoulder way too often for his own comfort.
Secret Tale's lead started disappearing into cold air but the post, for Jassim al-Ghazali's filly, a tad bit too near.
In the first race of the day, Harry Bentley, in the colours of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani, rode Fer'Ha to her first career victory in the Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate event.
The Julian Smart charge did well to edge out Al Shahania Stud's al-Ghazali-trained Rawaa in the seven furlong affair. Pier Convertino rode Abeah to a third-place finish.
Convertino then switched to the colours of Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani to ride Barrelaman to a comfortable victory in the Local Purebred Arabian Derby.
In the eight-furlong event, which was sponsored by Dietrich, Pierre Deymonaz's charge finished ahead of Reda, owned by Sheikh Mohamed, and Al Shaqab Racing's Wahhaaj.
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