FOOTBALL | Page 3 CRICKET | Page 5 Ulloa strike at Kohli knock To Advertise here home gives eclipses Amir’s Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 Leicester dream spell as title heart India win Sunday, February 28, 2016 SHOWJUMPING Jumada I 19, 1437 AH Diniz overcomes GULF TIMES faulty start to win Emir’s Sword SPORT Page 2 HH THE EMIR’S SWORD FESTIVAL Gazwan wins Emir’s Sword; The Blue Eye takes Trophy ‘Al Mourtajez is a very, very good horse... but that’s the kind of race Gazwan needed, one with a strong pace’ By Mikhil Bhat Doha oing into the million dollar fi nale of three-day HH The Emir’s Sword Festival, Julian Smart’s wards, 10 of them, Ghad only managed two second and two third places. The trainer more than made up for an “awful” weekend with Gazwan, owned by HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al- Thani, winning the all-important HH The Emir’s Sword (Gr1 PA), sponsored by Total, yesterday, ahead of stablem- ate Assy, while Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Mourtajez, trained by Thomas Fourcy, was edged out to third. Also, Jassim Ghazali scored big on the fi nal day of HH The Emir’s Sword Festival with fi ve wins, including the million dollar HH The Emir’s Trophy, a Group 1 race for three-year-olds and older thoroughbreds, presented by Longines. On the draw day, ahead of the three- day meeting, Smart had told Gulf Times that while the 2014 winner Assy and Gazwan were out to win the big race, Al Majh’hoor was in the race as part of a plan. The plan, as it unfolded yesterday, Trainer Jassim Ghazali celebrates the win of The Blue Eye with HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday. was to “take the sting out of Al Mour- tajez’s pace”. Jockey Marco Monteriso comfortable seven-length victory over kept Al Majh’hoor alongside Julien Trainer Julian Smart kisses Gazwan, after the win in HH The Emir’s Sword (Gr1 PA) Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan’s Auge’s ride Al Mourtajez for the bulk race at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club yesterday. PICTURE: Juhaim Thakif. Amer colt, Gidwa, trained by of the race, pushing up the pace, while Smart, rounded up the top three. Assy and Gazwan had a more restrained Footstepsinthesand colts, Moaddie run. Job done, Al Majh’hoor fell back, and Footprintinthesand, swept the Al leaving it to Assy on the fi nal straight, Rayyan Breeders Cup, the fi rst of the and as the two former winners jostled, eight-race card, with Alban de Mieulle- Gazwan, under Richard Mullen, went trained Mutawassal fi nishing third. past both of them to pick up a thrilling win. RESULTS “Winning the Emir’s Sword is the Race 1: 1. Moaddie (Yanis Aouabed), 2. biggest prize in Qatar, and that makes Footprintinthesand (Darren Williams), everything good,” Smart said after the 3. Mutawassal (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 4. win. Al Hareth (Harry Bentley). Won by: 1 ¾, “I can’t say enough about Al Mour- 2, Nk. Time: 2:01.76. Owner: Ahmed Has- tajez, he is a very, very good horse. To san al-Malki al-Jehani. Trainer: Hamad go that speed and still be fi ghting at the Ahmed al-Jehani. fi nish with us says something about his Race 2: 1. Aba’ath (Julien Auge), 2. quality. Thakif (Wayne Smith), 3. Gidwa (Marco “Assy hasn’t been beaten by far. But Monteriso), 4. Rasi (Harry Bentley). Won that’s the kind of race Gazwan has al- by: Time: 1:39.10. Owner: Al Shaqab Rac- ways needed, one with a strong pace. ing. Trainer: Thomas Fourcy. And he will gallop all day long. He was Race 3: 1. Izzthatright (Richard Mullen), unlucky in France last year, he was a ju- 2. Roi De Vitesse (Adrie de Vries), 3. venile but has matured over the winter. Richard Mullen rides Gazwan to victory in HH The Emir’s Sword. PICTURE: Juhaim Golden Steps (Frankie Dettori), 4. Sand- “It is just a shame that all the good betweenourtoes (Harry Bentley). Won races in Europe are a mile and quarter, by: 1 ¼, 2, Shd. Time: 1:07.82. Owner: because I would like a mile and a half. Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari receives HH The Emir’s Silver Sword from HH the Emir Injaaz Stud. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali. Take nothing away from Assy, you Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani after Spaghetti won the race, sponsored by Al Hazm. Race 4: 1. Go Dan Go (Harry Bentley), would probably see him in Europe in 2. Magnolia Beach (Adrie de Vries), 3. summer. Looks like we have got him at the task that much harder. But my God Al Biddah Mile, a Group 2 race for Jumaira Tower (Alan Munro), 4. Glossy his best too.” was with me. It is just an amazing day three-year-olds. Posse (Pier Convertino). Won by: Shd, Al Shaqab camp was palpably disap- for me today,” Ghazali said. Ghazali-Bentley combine also won ¾, 1. Time: 1:59.97. Owner: Dr. Fahad bin pointed. Bentley said, like Ghazali’s champion the Class 1 HH The Emir’s Shalfa, Abdullah al-Attiyah & Son. Trainer: Jas- “It was diffi cult. Sort of spoiling tac- horse Dubday, which the British jockey sponsored by Al Qamra, with Go Dan sim Ghazali. tics from the winning team. Al Mour- had guided to victories in the Qatar Go. Bentley, riding in the colours of Dr Race 5: 1. Opera Baron (JP Guillambert), tajez likes to be ridden from the front, Gold Cup and the Qatar Derby two Fahad bin Abdullah al-Attiyah & Son, 2. Flying Empress (Adrie de Vries), 3. obviously they know that. So they kept years ago, The Blue Eye is destined for kept Go Dan Go right behind early lead- French Encore (Darren Williams), 4. Tony taking him on. It just took the rhythm bigger things. er Clean Bowled before making a move Curtis (Sean Levey). Won by: 1/2, 1 1/4, 1. out of the race, and they just went too “The last few years, I had missed out around 300m from the post. Magnolia Time: 1:33.50. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail quick,” said Al Shaqab racing adviser on the win in this race but now to fi nally Beach picked up pace too to transform al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali. Harry Herbert. “Anyway, it is what it is. do that, win such a prestigious race on a it into a thrilling two-horse race. Race 6: 1. Spaghetti (Harry Bentley), 2. It was a terrifi c race, take nothing away horse like The Blue Eye, it is just fantas- Go Dan Go, who had last won a race Civaldi de Montegut (Richard Mullen), from the winner, who was restrained, tic,” Bentley said. in December 2015, eventually picked up 3. Djelamer (Jean Baptiste Hamel), 4. and at a sensible pace. Thomas (Fourcy) Moaddie connections receive the trophy after winning the Al Rayyan Breeders Cup. Earlier in the day, the owner-trainer- his second win this season. Carab (Adrie de Vries). Won by: 1 ¾, ¾, 6. is very disappointed.” jockey trio of al-Kuwari, Ghazali and Injaaz Stud’s Izzthatright, a Ghazali Time: 2:00.92. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail Asked about the future for Al Mourta- early leaders Fort Moville and Peter “This is my day, I have said this be- Bentley also won the Al Hazm-spon- charge, beat two-time winner Roi De al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali. jez, Herbert said, “He would possibly be Anders. On to the fi nal stretch, Bent- fore that I will win big on the big day… sored HH The Emir’s Silver Sword, an Vitesse, in the Katara Sprint Cup, a Race 7: 1. The Blue Eye (Harry Bentley), looking at Goodwood, the Arc day is still ley had the Dubawi colt move outwards Nobody can take it from me.” 1850m race for four-year-old Pure Ara- Class 1 race sponsored by Attheraces. 2. Billabong (Christian Demuro), 3. Fort the ultimate target, and it’s not going to and put on display his blistering pace to Many expected an international bians, with Spaghetti. Marco Botti-schooled Golden Steps, Moville (Marvin Suerland), 4. Agent Mur- be overdoing between now and then.” move clear of the competition. raider to pick up the big win, especially After shedding his maiden status in ridden by Frankie Dettori, fi nished phy (Jim Crowley). Won by: 4, Shd, 1 1/2. Earlier, three of Ghazali’s wins came Moroccan-bred Billabong edged out after Tannaaf and Rogue Runner, from his last race two months ago, Spaghetti third behind Roi De Vitesse. Time: 2:25.85. Owner: Khalifa bin Sheail for Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari, while Ahmed Kobeissi-trained Fort Moville South Africa and Germany respective- went past half the fi eld in the fi nal 200 Al Shaqab, trainer Fourcy and jockey al-Kuwari. Trainer: Jassim Ghazali. jockey Harry Bentley guided three of the for the second spot. ly, owned the Qatar Derby a couple of metres to pick up a win over another Auge emerged victorious in the Qatar Race 8: 1. Gazwan (Richard Mullen), 2. fi ve winners for the champion trainer, in- “I know that HH the Emir Sheikh weeks ago. Ghazali charge Civaldi de Montegut. International Cup (Gr1 PA), sponsored Assy (Harry Bentley), 3. Al Mourtajez cluding The Blue Eye for the big one. Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is com- “Believe me, it is not easy to win such Ghazali’s Opera Baron won for the by Al Faisal Holding, for the second (Julien Auge), 4.