The 47th Al Rayyan Race Meeting, organized by the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), is all set to take place on May 7, 2025. The meeting features an exciting card of eight races, with the prestigious Ain Khaled Cup as the highlight of the evening. This much-anticipated race will be run at 21:50 over a 1200-meter dirt track, offering a lucrative prize purse of 120,000 QAR.
A competitive field is expected in the Ain Khaled Cup. Among the entries are ASSERTIVELY, who will be ridden by Faleh Bughanaim and trained by Hamad Al-Jehani; BILLBOARD STAR, with Soufiane Saadi in the saddle and trained by Mohammed AlGhazali; and CURZON, also trained by AlGhazali and partnered by Alberto Sanna. Other notable runners include GLORIFIC (J: Mohammed Hassan Ali Alabdulmalik, T: Deborah Amanda Clare Mountain), LAST ENCORE (J: Rashid Ali Al-Marri, T: Mohammed Hussain Afroz), and PROUD SAMARITAN (J: Szczepan Mazur, T: Ahmed Al Jehani).
The field also features SIEGEN (J: Lukas Delozier, T: Ahmed Al Jehani), TOWARD THE SUN (J: Tejash Juglall, T: Hadi Al Ramzani), VALIANT KNIGHT (J: Marco Casamento, T: Gassim AlGhazali), WEISSMULLER (J: Saleh Faraj Al-Otaibi, T: Hamad Al-Jehani), and FLASHY DARK ANGEL (J: Salman Fahad Al-Hajri, T: Dr. Fahad Salman F S Al-Hajri). Completing the field are PERFECT DARK (J: Abdulla Rashid Al-Hajri, T: Mohammed Hassan Al Matwi) and QAHWA (J: Trevor Patel, T: Ibrahim Saeed Al Malki). BREAKOUT STAR and HILL STREET BLUES are listed as reserves.
The race day begins with the Thoroughbred Handicap 45-65 (Class 6) at 17:45, run over 1900 meters on a dirt surface and offering 50,000 QAR in prize money. Top contenders include SALAH AL DEEN (J: Abdulla Rashid Al-Hajri, T: Mohammed AlGhazali), SHIVRAJ (J: Szczepan Mazur, T: Abdulaziz Ali Al-Kathiri), TUSCAN (J: Mohammed Hassan Ali Alabdulmalik, T: Abdulla Al-Mulla), VEGA STAR (J: Al Moatasem Al Balushi, T: Mohammed Khalifa Al-Jehani), and ZUCCHINI (J: Faleh Bughanaim, T: Mohammed Nasser Al-Naimi).
At 18:20, the Purebred Arabian Handicap 50-70 (Class 5) will take place, also over 1900 meters of dirt, with a total prize of 55,000 QAR. The field includes PRINCE D’OSSAU (J: Youssef Lachhab, T: Ibrahim Saeed Al Malki), SULTANAT (J: Shakir Al Balushi, T: Salem Fadgham Al-Hajri), ABU THAYLAH (J: Abdulla Rashid Al-Hajri, T: Abdulla Dhabit Aldosari), HARDAN (J: Soufiane Saadi, T: Hadi Al Ramzani), and AL ZAEEM (J: Lukas Delozier, T: Gassim AlGhazali).
The third race, the Thoroughbred Handicap 55-75 (Class 5), is scheduled for 18:55. It will be run over 1200 meters with a total purse of 55,000 QAR. Expected runners include EMERALD ECLIPSE (J: Soufiane Saadi, T: Mohammed AlGhazali), FAR SHOT (J: Shakir Al Balushi, T: Salem Fadgham Al-Hajri), NOBLE PATRON (J: Abdulla Rashid Al-Hajri, T: Mohammed Balasim Al Jumaili), ROGUE NATION (J: Salman Fahad Al-Hajri, T: Ibrahim Saeed Al Malki), and ANA HADI (J: Lukas Delozier, T: Ahmed Al Jehani).
Following that, at 19:30, the Purebred Arabian Novice Plate (Class 5) will be held over 1200 meters, with prize money of 60,000 QAR. The first three runners are AL ERAQ (J: Rashid Ali Al-Marri, T: Mr. Mohd Ahmed Mohd Hasan Al-Sulaiti), HUIT DE FAUST (J: Maikon De Souza, T: Maayouf Bin Hashim Al-Shamari), and LATTAM AL SHAJAH (J: Abdulla Rashid Al-Hajri, T: Mohammed Hassan Al Matwi).
The Local Thoroughbred Novice Plate (Class 5) will be run at 20:05 over 1900 meters on dirt, offering 60,000 QAR in prize money. Leading contenders are AL MUSTASHAR (J: Salman Fahad Al-Hajri, T: Mohammed AlGhazali), CONAN BU THAILA (J: Youssef Lachhab, T: Alanoud Khalifa Al-Malki), and DUPHOR BU THAILA (J: Abdulla Rashid Al-Hajri, T: Fahad Rashid Al Khayarin).
The sixth race of the evening, Local Purebred Arabian Handicap 65-85 (Class 4), is set for 20:40 on a 1900-meter dirt track, with a 60,000 QAR purse. Key runners include BURKAN ZAKHIR (J: Saleh Faraj Al-Otaibi, T: Mohammed Hassan Al Matwi), KHALED AL SHAHANIA (J: Mohammed Hassan Ali Alabdulmalik, T: Ahmed Kobeissi), and AJS AL AREDH (J: Youssef Lachhab, T: Gassim AlGhazali).
The penultimate race is the Thoroughbred Handicap 70-90 (Class 3), scheduled for 21:15 over 1900 meters, with a total prize of 70,000 QAR. The top three horses in this contest are FOEHN (J: Faleh Bughanaim, T: Hadi Al Ramzani), MIA MAN (J: Alberto Sanna, T: Mr. Mohd Ahmed Mohd Hasan Al-Sulaiti), and COCO JACK (J: Trevor Patel, T: Ibrahim Saeed Al Malki).
The 47th Al Rayyan Race Meeting promises a spectacular night of racing in Doha, featuring seasoned runners, exciting newcomers, and fierce competition across all eight races. Fans can look forward to a festive atmosphere and thrilling finishes, making it a must-visit event on Qatar’s equestrian calendar.
