05.03.2020

MAZRAT AL RUWAYAH - RASI DOES IT FOR OMAN

MEYDAN (UAE), FEBRUARY 13^th 2020

Gr2 PA - 5-year-olds and up -1,600m (1m) - $55,000

A former inmate of Qatari trainer Jassim Al Ghazali, Rasi (Mared Al Sahra) hadn’t raced at Meydan for three years following an abortive attempt at the Dubai Kahayla Classic (Gr1 PA).

However, the boot was on the other foot as he rebounded with a vengeance on his return to this track. For he simply had too much firepower for his rivals in the Mazrat Al Ruwayah (Gr2 PA) on this Thursday card. Trained in the Sultanate of Oman for some time now, he also enabled his trainer, Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi, to savour a first win in Dubai.

Wadeeaa (Mahabb) set out to make all and she was tracked on her outside by Af Al Sajanjle (Af Al Buraq), whereas RB Lam Tara (General), coming off consecutive wins, raced in third along the rail. Rasi, meanwhile, patiently shadowed the latter. After thrusting his way into the lead under Harry Bentley in the straight, the future winner’s snappy turn of foot did the rest as it enabled him to put daylight between himself and his rivals. RB Lam Tara deprived the front-running Wadeeaa of second by a neck.

Capable of stepping up to the next level. The 9-year-old Rasi is hardly an unknown quantity in Qatar, having tackled the Qatar Derby PA 4-year-old Derby (Gr1 PA) in 2015. He was ridden by Harry Bentley that day, although he raced in the colours of Al Shahania Stud then, but could manage only eighth. Harry Bentley said: "I didn’t hesitate to take the race by the scruff of the neck, having kicked for home early – knowing full well that my horse has the required stamina. I wanted to use this to my advantage. We had a good passage along the rail, and it was merely a question of pulling him out for his challenge at the right time. It’s true that he’s a 9-year-old, but he remains in rude health and is capable of tackling longer trips. On current form, there’s no reason why he can’t step up a level."

Hailing from a heralded US line. Rasi is son of the Al Shahania homebred sire Mared Al Sahra (Amer), and had previously raced for this same concern. Rasi is out of the US champion distaffer Dixie Darlene (Wiking Pol), whose 17 successes on the track were recorded from the ages of three to five. This makes him a half-brother to a very high class duo, Dixies Valentine (Nivour de Cardonne) and Grilla (Kong), as the latter pair gained 22 US successes between them, including six at Gr1 PA level. The grandam BW Ali Catt (ZT Ali Baba) produced Mr Full Service (Sam Tiki), whose twenty wins took in the Arabian Cup Classic (Gr1 PA). She is also related to TM Thunder Struck (Majd Al Arab) – the Dubai Kahayla Classic second and Qatar International Cup (Gr1s PA) winner.

MEYDAN (UAE), 13^th FEBRUARY 2020

MAZRAT AL RUWAYAH SPONSORED BY WHEELS

Gr2 PA - 4-year-olds and up - 1,600 m - $55,000

1^st          (57) (H9)

(Mared Al Sahra & Dixie Darlène, by Wiking)

Owner: Qatan

Breeder: H.H. Sheikh M. Bin Khalifa Al Thani

Trainer: S. Al Ghunaimi

Jockey: H. Bentley

2^nd       RB LAM TARA (55) (F5)

(General & Rb Sweet Pea, Majd Al Arab)

Owner: H.H. Sheikha A. Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Breeder: Mrs D. Waldron

Trainer: E. Lemartinel

Jockey: F. Veron

3^rd        WADEEAA (55) (F6)

(Mahabb & Gaira, by Akbar)

Owner: Al Wathba Racing

Breeder: H.H. Sheikh M. Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Trainer: Mrs A. Mendez

Jockey: S. Mazur

Other runner(s) in finishing order: Af Al Sajanjle, Mh Rahal, Cheik Roque, Shadda'ad, Assuan, Mujahid, Mirna, Octave & Cakouet de Bozouls.

All ran (12).

Turf (Soft). 1'46"80. Distances: 2 1/2 - ENC - 2 1/2.