Sunsprite upsets favourites to lift NBB Cup
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbhahrain.com
Sunsprite raced to an upset victory yesterday to lift the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) Cup in the day’s feature event at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in Riffa.
The five-year-old, 79-rated victor, competing for Al Afoo Racing Stable and Mohammed Saeed with jockey Abdulla Faisal in the saddle, triumphed in the six-furlong race for imported horses in a time of one minute 13.570 seconds.
Sunsprite stunned his higher-rated opposition to claim the lion’s share of the BD5,000 total prize.
The pre-race favourites included Buffer Zone and Dark Shadow, who were a narrow second and third, respectively.
Both finished just a half-length behind, with Buffer Zone competing for Victorious, Hesham Al Haddad and Husain Maki; and Dark Shadow representing Al Mohamediya Racing, Osama Hashim and George Wood.
All of yesterday’s seven races had an NBB Cup to be won. In the day’s sixth event, Medal Winner triumphed for Al Mohamediya Racing and trainer Hussain Aldailami, while saddled by Paddy Mathers.
The five-year-old, 96-rated horse won the nine-furlong, BD3,000 event for imported horses in 1:48.597. A pair of Victorious-owned, Hesham Al Haddad-trained horses followed, with Jazeel as the runner-up four lengths behind, ridden by Husain Makki.
Macaque, saddled by Marcialis Jaures, came third.
Al Mukhtar Star won the afternoon’s fifth race, held over a distance of seven furlongs with a BD3,000 prize for imported contenders.
The Al Afoo Racing Stable victor won for Mohammed Saeed and ridden by Daisuke Fukumoto in 1:24.483.
What a Business was a neck behind in second for Jawad Abdulwahab, Jaffar Radhi and Abdulla Faisal; while Fifth Fleet came third for MKAR Racing, Haider Ebrahim and Paddy Mathers.
Epic took first place in race four for locally bred horses with a BD3,000 prize.
The three-year-old completed the seven-furlong race distance for Abdulla Fawzi Nass and Hesham Al Haddad in 1:27.656, with Husain Makki in the saddle.
Shaddad followed for Al Bastaki Racing, Salahuddin Al Bastaki and Ebrahim Nader; while Batmobile completed the top three for Victorious, Allan Smith and Abdulrahim Jasim.
The Nass-Al Haddad-Makki triumvirate also triumphed in the day’s third race with Living Art.
The event was held over 10 furlongs with a BD2,000 prize for local challengers, and Living Art won in 2:10.785.
A length-and-a-half behind was Al Mukhtar for Ali Abdul Hadi Mursili, Abdulla Haji and Ahmed Maki; while Huda came third for Nass and Al Haddad, steered by jockey Marcialis Jaures.
In yesterday’s second race, Hayel competing for Al Nuwayef Racing, Abdulla Kuwaiti and Seamus Cronin was the winner to claim the lion’s share of the BD2,000 prize.
The five-year-old raced to the finish in the six-furlong straight in 1:17.253, to beat a competitive field of nine horses that saw Nardeen and Wahaaj in second and third, respectively.
Nardeem was representing Feras Sami Hashem Al Meshqab, Osama Hashim and Ebrahim Nader; while Wahaaj was competing for Al Nuwayef Racing, Allan Smith and Abdulrahim Jasim.
In race one over six furlongs with a BD2,000 prize, Al Ma’anagieh 1789 triumphed in 1:27.325 for KHK Racing, Hesham Al Haddad and Husain Makki.
The four-year-old won in 1:27.325. Al Krush 1751 was the runner-up a short head behind for Al Sakhir, Jaffar Marzooq and Abdulla Faisal; while Al Musannah 1724 for Al Riffa, Yousif Alboainain and Ebrahim Nader.
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