Al Wasmiyah Racing's Laffan stays unbeaten with Gr.2 (PA) win at La Teste
La Teste (France)
Al Wasmiyah Racing's homebred Laffan (Af Al Buraq) confirmed his exciting potential with a composed and professional performance to win the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)-sponsored Gr.2 (PA) Qatar Coupe de France des Chevaux Arabes at La Teste, France, on Monday.
Ahmed AmanAlla Al Sheebani, Director of QREC Support Services Department, presented the trophies to the winners of the Gr.2 (PA) contest for three-year-olds over 1600 metres.
The Purebred Arabian colt is trained by François Rohaut and was ridden on the occasion by Jean-Bernard Eyquem.
The race brought together a field of seven runners and marked just the second career start for Laffan, who, under Eyquem as well, had made a successful debut last month over the same trip at Bordeaux. Stepping straight into Group company, the son of Af Al Buraq remained unbeaten with another polished display.
The early pace was not particularly strong, with Mansour de Faust (Mister Ginoux) taking up the lead and Ghazan Du Soleil (Gazwan) tracking in second. Favourite Laffan was caught three wide without cover, but travelled well despite his position. Eyquem kept him relaxed throughout and began to move closer as they approached the final turn.
Once balanced at the top of the straight, Laffan moved up smoothly to take the lead. He responded gamely when asked and maintained a narrow advantage to the line, holding off fast-finishing rivals. Amjaad (Azadi), owned by Al Shaqab Racing, trained by Thomas Fourcy and ridden by Mme Margot Romary, came flying late to take second, beaten only a head. Motus De l'Aigle (Mister Ginoux), representing Khalifa bin Sheail Al Kuwari, trained by Mme Jf. Bernard and partnered by Valentin Seguy, also finished strongly to claim a very close third in a thrilling finish, just a short head further behind. Once again, the top three placings went to Qatari-owned runners—mirroring the result less than 24 hours earlier in the QREC-sponsored Gr1 P/A Qatar Purebred Arabian 4YO Derby at Chantilly.
Bred by Al Wasmiyah Racing, Laffan is out of Ajaayib (Mahabb), a winner over 1650 metres at three and 1500 metres at four. Ajaayib is a half-sister to Moshrif (Dahess), a dual Gr.1 (PA) winner over 2000 metres at three and 2200 metres at four, and to Muraaqib (Munjiz), a five-time Gr.1 (PA) winner over 2000 metres at three, four and five, and over 1600 metres at six.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
16 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
High-level security delegation from US visits Qatar
Tribune News Network DOHA The Security Committee of the Supreme Committee at Delivery & Legacy has received a high-level security delegation representing Federal Agencies and Local police authorities from the United States of America. The delegation was received by representatives of the Tournament Security Force from various security units involved in securing tournaments and events in the State of Qatar. The delegation's visit to the State of Qatar follows the recent visit of HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force 'Lekhwiya' - Chairman of the Security Committee of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy - to the United States. That visit witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Qatari Ministry of Interior and the US Department of Homeland Security, aimed at enhancing security cooperation between the two friendly countries and exchanging expertise in the field of securing major sporting events, particularly in the context of the ongoing preparations to secure the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Qatar Tribune
17 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Al Duhail rally from being a goal down to beat Sepahan, secure Elite berth
Bamba, Boulbina and Piatek score goals for the Red KnightsAFC Doha Qatar Stars League side Al Duhail overturned an early deficit to hand Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan FC a 3-2 defeat in the AFC Champions League Elite 2025-26 Preliminary Stage on Tuesday. Amin Hazbavi gave the side from the Iran a third minute lead but goals from Ibrahima Bamba, Adil Boulbina and Krzysztof Piatek by the 33rd minute saw Djamel Belmadi's outfit secure victory. Milad Zakipour scored a late consolation for Sepahan. The result means Al Duhail will be one of the 12 clubs participating in the league phase of the AFC Champions League Elite from West Asia, with the draw due to take place in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Al Duhail's success came despite Sepahan taking the lead with a little over two minutes on the clock, Arya Yousefi's long throw towards the six-yard box slipping through the Al Duhail defence to allow defender Hazbavi to step forward and coolly side-foot home. The Iranian side's advantage was to last only nine minutes, however, as Bamba charged into the Sepahan penalty area to meet Benjamin Bourigeaud's corner and power his header into the top corner. By the 24th minute Al Duhail had gone in front through a moment of exceptional skill from Boulbina, who pulled down Tuta's pass from deep with his first touch and then smashed his shot past Seyed Hossein Hosseini via the underside of the crossbar with his second. The Red Kbihts side doubled their lead 12 minutes before the break as Piatek ruthlessly punished a mistake by Ehsan Hajisafi, intercepting the midfielder's pass to race in on goal and give Hosseini little chance with a thumping strike. Bourigeaud saw his shot tipped onto the crossbar by Hosseini with four minutes left in the half and Boulbina dragged his attempt wide at the end of a rapid-fire break as Al Duhail's dominance continued until the break. Al Duhail goalkeeper Salah Zakaria made a flying save to keep out Kaveh Rezaei's dipping free kick in the 51st minute as Sepahan sought to claw their way back into the game, with the Qatari goalkeeper responding again seven minutes later to deny Arash Rezavand. Hajisfai was unable to curl his left-foot effort inside Zakaria's right post with 15 minutes remaining but, while Zakipour bundled the ball over the line from close range in the third minute of injury time, Al Duhail held on to progress. Scoreline: Al Duhail 3 (A Bamba 11', A Boulbina 24', K Piatek 33') bt Sepahan FC 2 (A Hazbavi 3', M Zakipour 90+3')
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
MoI hosts forum on Qatar Football League
QNA Doha The Establishments and Authorities Security Department at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) organisedon Monday a forum on the integration of security and organisational roles of the Qatar Football League. The forum was attended by a number of specialists in the fields of sports security and organisation, as well as representatives from Qatar Stars League, clubs and partner entities. Major Saeed Jumaa Al Hitmi, acting head of the Sports Security Section, said in a speech on the occasion that the forum stems from the recognition of the importance of enhancing joint work and integrated coordination between security and organisational bodies, ensuring the success of sporting events and providing a safe environment that meets the aspirations of fans and supports the goals of sports institutions in the country. He said that previous experiences have proven that success is not achieved through planning alone, but rather through actual integration between security personnel, organizing committees, and relevant authorities. He noted that the forum features an open dialogue session to exchange experiences and review best practices. For his part, Hassan Rabia Al Kuwari, executive director of Sales, Marketing, and Communications at the Qatar Stars League, emphasized that the forum reflects the spirit of cooperation between the organization, the Sports Security Department, the clubs, and partners. He praised the remarkable development in coordination mechanisms over recent seasons. He expressed his hope that these meetings would continue, as they provide an opportunity to discuss challenges, solutions, and innovative ideas, enhancing the level of organization and the image of the Qatari league regionally and internationally. The forum's programme included a visual presentation of the most prominent events of the 2024-2025 football season, followed by two dialogue sessions to discuss best practices and challenges. The final recommendations were then presented and the participants were honoured.
