HORSERACING – DICK Dastardly lifted the Late HH Shaikh Rashid Bin Isa Al Khalifa Opening Day Cup last night in the season’s first meeting at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in Sakhir.
The M and E Racing-owned four-year-old, trained by Paul Smith and ridden yesterday by Robert Winston, triumphed in the 1,600m event – the fifth race on yesterday’s eight-race card – to claim the lion’s share of the BD5,000 total prize purse.
In attendance yesterday were REHC High Committee honorary president Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Supreme Council for Environment vice-president and REHC High Committee vice-chairman Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa, and other officials.
Dick Dastardly won with a two-and-a-half length’s margin from runner-up Majarah, competing for Shaikh Isa bin Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, Abdulla Kuwaiti, and Abdulrahim Jasim; while Call of Duty came third also for M and E and Smith, with Lee Newman in the saddle. Call Me Maybe completed the race’s top four for Talal Reyadh Alhaji, Jaber Ramadhan, and Mirko Sanna.
All eight of yesterday’s races were run in honour of the Late Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa.
In race six, Royal Scimitar won the Late HH Shaikh Rashid Bin Isa Al Khalifa Graded Stakes for Al Mohamediya Racing. Soufiane Saadi steered the Mohamed Hasan-trained seven-year-old to first place to come away with the biggest portion of the BD5,000 prize.
Redemption Time finished second for Al Afoo Racing, Ramadhan, and Sanna; Juantorena came third for Victorious Forever, Fawzi Nass, and Alberto Sanna; and Bussento was fourth for Mohamediya, Nass, and Hasan Al Saffar.
Meanwhile, Salamanca Lad triumphed in race seven for the Late HH Shaikh Rashid Bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup with BD4,000 in prize money up for the taking. Tomas Lukasek saddled the Ramadhan-trained four-year-old to the win ahead of runner-up Mr Irrelevant, racing for Mohamediya, Nass, and Saadi. Monty Bay came third for Al Mallah Racing, Abduljaleel Al Mallah, and Jasim; while Man of Eden was fourth for Al Afoo Racing, Ramadhan, and Mirko Sanna.
Elsewhere yesterday at REHC, Kaasib won the Late HH Shaikh Rashid Bin Isa Al Khalifa Sprint in race two for Mohamediya, Ali Abdulmajeed, and Al Saffar; Black Pearl took race three to claim the Late HH Shaikh Rashid Bin Isa Al Khalifa Bahrain Bred Sprint Cup for M and E, Smith, and Winston; Atlantic Sky took the Late HH Shaikh Rashid Bin Isa Al Khalifa Mile in the fourth race for MH Racing, Osama Hashim, and Ebrahim Nader; Obeyan 1923 won the Late HH Shaikh Rashid Bin Isa Al Khalifa WAHO Cup in the day’s first event for Al Khaldiya, Kuwaiti, and Nader; and Space X took the eighth and last race to lift the Late HH Shaikh Rashid Bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup Bahrain Bred Handicap for Victorious Forever, Smith, and Alejandro Brun.
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