A big-race double as Qatar’s Classic season heats up

With just six weeks until the Qatar Derby, the first major tests of the new season were run this week. A quality card was assembled for Thursday racing at Al Uqda racecourse, featuring the Thoroughbred Guineas for the Classic generation and the Barzan Cup for older horses.

Transferred from their regular home at Al Rayyan while the turf track there is resown, both events were run over 1,400m on a delightful afternoon at the pretty course. Al Uqda is a major training centre, developed some 20 years ago to home horses competing in equestrian events at the Asian Games. The turf track enjoys generous bends and a 450m straight, meaning hard-luck stories are few and far between.

Wathnan Racing fielded three contestants for the Guineas, each with laudable claims. Soldier’s Gold, winner of the Al Rayyan Stakes in Qatar as a juvenile before a successful season in French Stakes races for trainer Alban de Mieulle, sported the red-capped first colours. Native American, also a big winner at two and placed at Listed level at three – in his case, on the Epsom Derby undercard – and Garfield Shadow, a recent Wathnan purchase at the Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale, both represented the Hamad Al-Jehani stable, and had flown in from Newmarket just days before this assignment. Stable jockey James Doyle elected to ride new boy Garfield Shadow.

As the 14 runners made their way through the early stages at a good pace, Native American – ridden by Kazakstan-born four-time German Champion jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev – took up a position in fourth, three deep on the course, with Garfield Shadow to his inside. Soldier’s Gold, a strong stayer at this trip, bided his time further back under pilot Soufiane Saadi. Rounding the turn into the straight, Doyle drove Garfield Shadow through between runners to seize the lead, as Native American attempted to go with him. Accelerating from the back, Soldier’s Gold came wider still and ran on for a clear second place, without ever really landing a blow on Garfield Shadow, who was winning for the fifth time from ten starts. Native American got up late for third, completing a memorable Wathnan clean sweep.

The winner won’t be pointed towards the Qatar Derby – he’s done all his previous winning over sprint distances. Not so Soldier’s Gold, who sports winning form at 2,000m and will be among the fancies for the December 27th race.

Thursday’s card closed with a second Qatar Group 3 race, the Barzan Cup for older horses. A well-matched field of 12 faced the starter, with the 103-rated Holguin and first-string 108-rated Dark Trooper representing Wathnan and trainer Alban de Mieulle.

Dark Trooper, ridden by James Doyle, struck the front late and – though never going clear – won with some authority. The handsome son of Dark Angel was winning for the eighth time from his 22 starts (he was also second in the prestigious and highly competitive Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot), while Holguin ran fourth, the pair divided by horses both officially rated 105, a triumph for Wathnan… and also for the handicapper.