Pleaseletmewin leads Ghazali treble Oman’s Meblsh dazzles in Gulf Cup

DOHA, February 24, 2018 - Pleaseletmewin made no such requests when he won a thriller of a Thoroughbred feature contest over a mile to cap a fantastic day for Jassim Mohamed Ghazali that saw the Champion Trainer pick up a hat-trick of wins on Day Two of HH The Emir's Sword Racing Festival at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) turf on Friday.

In the penultimate race of the day, Gulf Cup, the Arabians feature of the day, Qatar-bred Meblsh sent his Omani owners and their massive contingent into a rapturous celebration as Almotasem al-Balushi rode as the six-year-old, son of the prolific sire Amer, displayed his blistering pace on the home straight going past almost half the field for a two-and-a-half-length victory.

The Injaaz Stud-owned Pleasletmewin was a useful performer for Ralph Beckett in England with three wins, before moving to Qatar a year ago. Coming into yesterday's USD200,000 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup, a Group 2 race for three-year-olds and older horses, the gelding had seven top-four finishes in Qatar, including a course and distance victory in March last year.

Martin Harley, who had earlier raced Pierre Deymonaz-schooled Ishfaq to his maiden victory in the second race of the day, timed his whip to perfection as he went past early leaders and Ghazali wards Third Dimension and Sir Guy Porteous coming off the final bend.

Alexander Pietsch and German raider Diplomat made a move squeezing through the early leaders, while Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani's ward, Vitally Important, upped his pace on the outside. It was the latter, under Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim, who went neck and neck with Pleaseletmewin in the final few metres, before the Ghazali ward edged out for a win by a short head.

“I am very happy today. When we had bought the horse for (£450,000), he had won a Group 3 in England. Today, Martin Harley rode a perfect race for him. You can't win this race if you don't have quality," Ghazali said after the race.

“Yesterday (Thursday), I was under a lot of pressure; second, third, second third. But today, it was great," said Ghazali, who also had four top-three finishes besides the wins yesterday.

“The pace was strong up front and he travelled very very good. He was with a good farm in the UK and the trainer here had obviously done a good job with him, he deserved to win a race like that. It was a late entry into the race but it seems like the right decision now," Harley, who would be riding for David O'Meara today in the Dukhan Sprint before teaming up with Ghazali again in HH The Emir's Shalfa, told Gulf Times.

“A mile was a perfect trip for him, and when the pace was strong for him, it just made it all better."

In one of the most exciting finishes, Ghazali and Champion Jockey Harry Bentley picked up their first victory of the day in the seven furlong Local Thoroughbred Trophy.

Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari-owned Mosayter won the race for four-year-olds and older horses in thrilling fashion.

Bentley took the inside line in his chase of Faleh Bughanaim-ridden Al Lusail, who had a slight advantage coming off the final bend. Half a furlong out, Bentley was neck and neck with the Qatari jockey, before edging out the latter by smallest of margins for a fantastic win.

The second victory of the owner-trainer-jockey trio was much more comfortable, all credit to Caid De L'Ardus.

Coming on to the home straight in the six-furlong Purebred Arabian Sprint Cup, Caid De L'Ardus surged forward to take the advantage and watching from the grandstand, Ghazali simply nodded in approval and clinched his first tight as the six-year-old picked up his 11th victory from 21 starts with two lengths and three quarters to spare.

Trainers Deborah Mountain and Ibrahim al-Malki also had a winner each — Pier Convertino-ridden Black Orange won the six-furlong Thoroughbred Plate event for three-year-olds and Eduardo Pedroza helmed Mango Tango topped the mile-long Class 3 Thoroughbred contest for fillies and mares.

Earlier in the day, Swiss rider Naomie Heller collected 20 points in the Fegentri Championship for Lady Riders when she guided Alban de Mieulle-trained Semaisima to her second career victory. Qatar's Khadija Abdulwahed guided Mohamed Nasser al-Naimi's ward, Saab, to fourth.

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