CCRICKETRICKET | Page 4 GGOLFOLF | Page 5 India win third Tiger on prowl T20I to clinch as Lovemark, series against List lead at Proteas PGA National Sunday, February 25, 2018 FOOTBALL Jumada II 9, 1439 AH Salah scores again as GULF TIMES Liverpool thrash West Ham United SPORT Page 3 HORSE RACING Gazwan, The Blue Eye wins light up Emir’s Sword Festival 2016 champions of HH The Emir’s Sword and HH The Emir’s Trophy register their second victories in the races His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani presents Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari (second from right) with the Silver Sword after Easter De Faust won HH The Emir’s Silver Sword race at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) yesterday. His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani applauds as The Blue Eye’s owner Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari (centre) and trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali (left) lift their trophies after the six-year-old won HH The Emir’s Trophy (Gr1) yesterday. By Mikhil Bhat Doha is Highness Sheikh Moham- ed bin Khalifa al-Thani and trainer Julian Smart enjoyed a hat-trick in HH The Emir’s HSword (Gr1 PA) with unstoppable Gazwan taking the million dollar Ara- bian feature, while Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s The Blue Eye too struck back for his second HH The Emir’s Trophy (Gr1) victory in three years at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) yesterday. His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani presented His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with winners of Al Sabiq races at the QREC yesterday. the trophies to the winners. In the fi nale, all eyes were on Umm year-old Purebred Arabians. Two big Qarn’s Yazeed, unbeaten in Qatar wins and the Brit was understandably this season coming into the race, and smiling. Smart’s other ward, Ebraz, last year’s “It was a little bit frustrating and winner, both of who were lighting up disappointing with some of the previ- the competition all season long coming ous races, but to get a win on this lad into yesterday’s big one. (The Blue Eye) is huge. I knew he had However, yesterday, when the fi eld a massive chance. Course form holds took the turn, Cristian Demuro let the big time. And we know he goes around 2016 champion go and that left too here so well. To come here and bounce much ground to cover for Alban de back and beat some really classy hors- Mieulle-trained Yazeed, helmed by es, winners from abroad; take nothing Olivier Peslier, even as Theo Bachelot- away from that,” he said. ridden Ebraz was fast gaining ground. Easter De Faust led a one-two for Yazeed perhaps found a mile and a al-Kuwari and Ghazali with Jethjath half too much, having to step up from fi nishing second behind Oisin Murphy, his 2200m trial victory, as Ebraz eased while Evolution Du Croate was a distant past to take the second spot two lengths third under Tomas Lukasek. ahead of the former. Among the international runners, “My biggest concern was that he had Jockey Cristian Demuro (left) rides Gazwan to victory ahead of Ebraz, with Theo Jockey Harry Bentley (left) rides The Blue Eye to victory in HH The Emir’s Trophy Al Rayyan Stakes topper Tip Two Win, not had a race since the Arc. But he is Bachelot astride, in HH The Emir’s Sword (Gr1 PA) yesterday. PICTURE: Juhaim (Gr1) at the QREC yesterday. PICTURE: Juhaim trained by UK trainer Roger Teal, made an absolute beast of a horse. Look he his second successful trip to Qatar to doesn’t win all of his races, but the rac- Nasser al-Ramzani-trained Cannon. Trophy victory in three years. side line but just made it to the frame, not going to be easy here. They need to win the Group 2 Al Biddah Mile hand- es that he does win, he beats the best,” Earlier in the day, the camp of Cham- Bentley had the six-year-old run while UK handler Andrew Balding’s El- know that there is a horse from Qatar, somely, while jockey Martin Harley Smart told Gulf Times after his sixth pion Trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali midfi eld even as Frankie Dettori, rid- bereth made it to fi fth. a trainer Jassim Ghazali, (an owner in) raced his third winner of the three-day win in Qatar’s fl agship Arabian race in and al-Kuwari went ballistic with their ing Money Multiplier in the famous “The Blue Eye is a champion. Every- Mr. Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari, and festival with David O’Meara-trained the last eight years. celebrations after Champion Jockey colours of Al Shahania Stud, took on one knows that. He got beaten, but it it is not going to be easy to win against Intisaab beating Ghazali’s Izzthatright De Mieulle was all praise for the Harry Bentley rode two big winners, in- Ahmed Kobeissi’s Fort Moville early, doesn’t mean that he is not a champion them. Champion horse, he runs with a for the Group 3 Dukhan Sprint. winner. “Gazwan is a very good horse. cluding The Blue Eye in the million dol- and then set the pace before fi nding anymore. Champions emerge once in a heart, does everything that we ask of Ibrahim al-Malki-trained Pazeer Yes, I am a little bit disappointed about lar Thoroughbed feature and Easter De himself alongside Eduardo Pedroza- while, but they don’t run every day,” an him. I don’t know what happened last registered his second straight course Yazeed, but I think the distance may Faust in HH The Emir’s Silver Sword. ridden Noor Al Hawa coming off the elated al-Kuwari said. season, but today he sealed everyone’s and distance victory to win the 2000m have been a little too much for him. And The Blue Eye beat a highly-rated inter- fi nal bend. Ghazali, who had a hat-trick on Day mouths,” he said referring to The Blue HH The Emir’s Shalfa, a Thorough- the quality of the horses in front of him, national competition, including Andreas The Blue Eye surged forward com- Two of the festival and won two big Eye’s ninth place in the race’s 2017 edi- bred handicap race, while Yousef Ben Ebraz and Gazwan, is good,” he said. Wohler’s Noor Al Hawa, Chad Brown’s ing on to the home straight and eased ones yesterday, was a proud trainer. tion. Taher’s in-form ward Molheb Al Naif The victory was Demuro’s second on American raider Money Multiplier and past Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Noor Al Hawa “I feel the contenders who have come Bentley had two third places and a stayed unbeaten for the sixth straight the day having won the card-opening Qatar Derby-winning Italian contender metres out for a fantastic win. Mac Ma- from outside Qatar to race here, it second place yesterday before com- outing to capture the other Group 1 for Al Rayyan Breeders Cup with Hadi Mac Mahon, to snap up his second Emir’s hon, under Dario Vargiu, took the in- should be put in their heads that it is ing into the Silver Sword race for four- Arabians, the Qatar International Cup. Gulf Times 2 Sunday, February 25, 2018 SPORT SHOWJUMPING Young Qatari rider al-Suwaidi The 23-year-old guides his veteran gelding Cantaro 32 clinches Emir’s Sword to victory in Big Tour class By Sahan Bidappa Doha almeen Sultan al-Suwaidi couldn’t have chosen a bigger stage to an- nounce himself, as the Qatari rider emerged triumphant in HH The SEmir’s Sword Equestrian championship yes- terday. The 23-year-old stole the thunder at the Qatar Equestrian Federation’s outdoor arena as he guided his veteran grey gelding Cantaro 32 to victory in the Big Tour class. Al-Suwaidi was thrilled to receive the Emir’s Sword from His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. “It’s a pleasure for anyone to shake Emir’s hand and receive the sword from Emir. It’s such an hon- our,” the young rider said. Al-Suwaidi and Cantaro 32 proved to be a formidable com- bination as they galloped the long course and jumped clear with a faultless round, stopping the clock at an impressive 78.16secs. Unlike in the previous years, when a rider would win the championship if he did well on a particular day, this time the riders had to perform consistently over the three days of the championship. And al-Suwaidi walked away with the honour and QR68,750 in prize money after tallying highest points on the back of his impressive show yesterday. “I held Qatar Equestrian Federation President Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah (second left) poses up my points since fi rst day. It was three days with HH The Emir Sword winner Salmeen Sultan al-Suwaidi (second right), runner-up Hamad of jumping. I made sure that I had very good Ali al-Attiyah (left) and third-placed Salman Mohammed al-Emadi. PICTURES: Lotfi Garsi time on the fi rst day because it would help me on the last day if I jump clean then I can win title,” he said. Al-Suwaidi paid credit to his horse Cantaro 32 for the victory. “It’s my fi rst Emir Sword win. It was a big challenge as there were strong competitors.