Al Aafoor wins feature in season-opening races

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Al Aafoor clinched the Late HH Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup in the feature race yesterday of the season-opening meeting at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in Zallaq.

The races were held in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Turki bin Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa and Supreme Council for the Environment vice-president and REHC High Committee vice-chairman His Highness Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Al Aafoor, owned by Al Afoo Racing and saddled by Lee Newman, took the eight-furlong event with a BD5,000 prize for locally bred horses. The Mohammed Saeedtrained entrant bested a highly competitive 18-horse field, in which Mugheerah, owned by Al Nayefaat, ridden by Andrew Elliott and trained by Abdulla Kuwaiti, finished as the runner-up.

In third place was Remiah, also representing Al Afoo Racing, and jockeyed by Anas Al Siyabi while trained by Mohammed Saeed. The seventh race of the day was also for a Late HH Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup, but this time it was for imported horses. Shebil Aljazira of Al Mohamediya Racing was the victor amongst seven entrants, who battled it out over eight furlongs for a share of the BD5,000 prize.

Byline came second for Al Adiyat Racing, Ebrahim Nader and Alan Smith, while Macaque was third for Victorious, Marcialis Jaures and Hesham Al Haddad. Five of the six other races yesterday were also for cups dedicated to the Late HH Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa.

In race six, held over a six-furlong straight for imported horses with a BD,2000 prize, Aleko triumphed for owner Naser Ali Naser Almoamen, jockey Anas Al Siyabi and trainer Ali Nasser.

Race five was also for imported horses over seven furlongs with a BD2,000 prize, and it was claimed by Happy Craf for M and E Racing, Edinson Rodriguez and Alan Smith. Race three for locally bred horses over a nine-furlong distance carrying a BD2,000 prize purse was won by Parchment, competing for Victorious, ridden by Edinson Rodriguez and trained by Alan Smith.

Saheel won race two, held over five furlongs with a BD2,000 prize for local breeds. Saheel is owned by HH Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, and was ridden by Paddy Mathers and trained by James Naylor.

The first race of the day was a WAHO event over five furlongs with a BD2,000 prize. Obeyan 1777 of KHK Racing came first, jockeyed by Rosie Jessop and trained by Hesham Al Haddad.

Meanwhile, the fourth race of the day for imported horses, held over a 10-furlong distance with a BD2,000 prize, was won by Rua Augusta, owned and trained by Jaffar Marzooq and ridden by Martin Seidl.