Wukair clinches Ras Rokn Island Cup, treble for Casamento

 Jockey Marco Casamento and champion trainer Jassim Ghazali combined to claim the Ras Rokn Island Cup at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s Al Uqda Racecourse yesterday. The 2000m Handicap (65-85) for four-year+ Local Thoroughbreds on dirt saw Nasser Saeed al-Eida’s Wukair coast home by two lengths and a quarter under Casamento, who completed a treble with the win.

The Jassim Ghazali trained six-year-old horse quickened up smartly inside the final furlong to win the feature race of the 9th race meeting of the season at the racecourse. Earlier, Casamento guided Mohamed Ghazali-trained and Al Rufaa Racing’s Smart Contender to the victory in the meeting opener race. The four-year-old gelding, on his second start in Qatar, prevailed by two lengths and a quarter in the 2000m Handicap (0-65) for three-year+ Thoroughbreds.
Later, trainer Mohamed Ghazali also completed a hat-trick of wins in the back to back races. In the 1300m Handicap (0-75) for three-year-old+ Thoroughbred his ward Cloak And Dagger, seven-year-old gelding, bolted by seven lengths to register a pillar-to-post victory under jockey Saleh Faraj al-Otaibi. While in the 1300m Novice for four-year-old+ Purebred Arabians Al Ghazali Stud’s Sha’alan came first by a length and a quarter under Casamento.
In the penultimate race of the day – The Handicap (0-75) for four-year-old+ Purebred Arabians – saw another pillar-to-post victory as Hamad Ahmed Hassan al Malki al-Jehani’s Almashahar dominated the 2000m contest and found extra at the final bend to kick away and win by six and a half lengths under jockey Arnaud de Lepine to complete a double on the day for trainer Hamad al-Jehani.
Nasser Hamad al-Naimi’s Afandem continued his excellent form with a second straight win as the Ahmed Kobeissi trained six-year-old horse finished the 1300m Handicap (65-85) for four-year-old+ Local Purebred Arabians two and a half lengths clear under jockey Pranil Arvind. Noora Racing Limited’s Ana Hadi took the 1300m Maiden for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, for trainer Hamad al-Jehani and jockey Szczepan Mazur, who was in the saddle for the one and a quarter length win.

Results
(Horse, Trainer, Jockey)
1-Ras Rokn Island Cup - Local Thoroughbred Handicap 65-85
Wukair, Gassim Ghazali, Marco Casamento
2-Purebred Arabian Handicap 0-75
Almashahar, Hamad al-Jehani, Arnaud De Lepine
3-Local Purebred Arabian Handicap 65-85
Afandem, Ahmed Kobeissi, Pranil Arvind Kharat
4-Purebred Arabian Novice Plate
Sha’alan, Mohamed Ghazali, Marco Casamento
5-Thoroughbred Handicap 0-75 (Class 5) (Qatari Riders Only)
Cloak And Dagger, Mohamed Ghazali, Saleh Faraj al-Otaibi
6-Thoroughbred Maiden Plate (3yo Only) (Class 6)
Ana Hadi, Hamad al-Jehani, Szczepan Mazur
7-Thoroughbred Handicap 0-65 (Class 6)
Smart Contender, Mohamed Ghazali, Marco Casamento