Giustino lifts Late Abdulhadi Al Afoo Cup

TDT | Manama                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com  

Giustino lifted the Late Abdulhadi Al Afoo Cup yesterday in the feature event at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in Sakhir.

REHC High Committee chairman His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa attended yesterday’s races along with other top officials. The Al Adiyat Racing four-year-old, trained by AM Smith and ridden by Paul Hanagan, clinched the victory in one minute 24.834 seconds over seven furlongs.

Giustino claimed the lion’s share of the BD3,000 prize ahead of runner-up Yuan Prince, competing for Al Mohamediya Racing, Osama Hashim and Liam Keniry, and third-placer Mission Boy, racing for MKAR Racing, Haider Ebrahim and Ebrahim Nader.

Yesterday’s meeting featured eight races in all and it was the second event of the new national horseracing season.

Meanwhile, two REHC Cups were up for grabs and they were claimed by a pair of Ebrahim Nader-saddled contenders, namely Safwa and Zezenia. In the seventh race, Safwa triumphed over seven furlongs for HH Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa and Haider Ebrahim.

The seven-year-old finished the BD2,000 event in 1:25.699 to lift one REHC Cup. Al Aafoor came second for owners Al Afoo Racing, trainer Mohammed Hasan and jockey Francois Herholdt, while Dirab was third for Ras Rumman Syndicate, Taleb Ali and Robert Tart.

In the sixth race over nine furlongs with a BD3,000 prize, Zezenia won the other REHC Cup in 1:51.080 for MKAR Racing and Haider Ebrahim. Bond’s Boy finished in second competing for Al Mohamediya Racing, Osama Hashim and Liam Keniry, while Gateway was third for Mustafa Jaffar Ali Omran, Osama Hashim and Robert Tart.

In the day’s first race for the Al Sakhir Cup, Al Jellaby 1791 won the six-furlong event with a BD1,500 total prize for Al Riffa, Yousif Alboainain and Ebrahim Nader. Al Saqlawy 1772 was the runner-up for Al Riffa, Yousif Alboainain and Abdulla Faisal, and Kuheilat Al Adiyat 1782 was third for Victorious, Yousif Taher and Muanis Al Siyabi.

Elsewhere yesterday, Hajeer triumphed in the fifth race over 0 furlongs for HH Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa, Haider Ebrahim and Abdulla Faisal; Benmalek won race four over 11 furlongs, racing for Hasan Mefareh Alajmi, Yousif Taher and Charles Perkins; Garsman clinched race three over five furlongs for Al Adiyat Racing, AM Smith and Paul Hanagan; and Qamari won race two for Al Afoo Racing, Mohammed Hasan and Jeffrey Syster.