LONDON: Al-Hilal lost to Qatari side Al-Rayyan 2-1 at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha in the AFC Champions League, with Al-Hilal going into the game with a changed line-up.
The win for the Qataris came thanks to goals in either half from Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah and club captain Rodrigo Tabata.
The visitors got their consolation goal in the 89th minute after Ahmed Yasser fouled Achraf Bencharki in the box and Yasser Al-Qahtani drove home the resulting penalty kick.
The Saudi side had a chance to snatch an equalizer through Al-Qahtani’s header after the onrushing goalkeeper failed to clear the ball, but Al-Qahtani saw his attempt blocked by defender Gonzalo Viera.
The result puts Al-Rayyan on six points with two games to play in the group stage.
Meanwhile, Al-Hilal face an uphill battle to get out of the group, sitting bottom of the table with two points and only two games to spare.
Al-Hilal face uphill task to progress in AFC Champions League after defeat in Qatar
Al-Hilal face uphill task to progress in AFC Champions League after defeat in Qatar
Lovesick Blues looking for better showing in Riyadh Dirt Sprint
- Having finished sixth in Breeders’ Cup, the sprinter goes again for trainer Librado Barocio
RIYADH: Mia Familia Racing Stable’s hard-knocking American sprinter Lovesick Blues (US) will bid to atone for a luckless Breeders’ Cup run in Saturday’s group two $2-million Riyadh Dirt Sprint Presented by Saudi National Bank.
Trainer Librado Barocio’s grey son of Grazen is part of a formidable US trio for the race that includes group two Santa Anita Sprint Championship winner Imagination (US) and group three Elite Power Stakes winner Just Beat the Odds (US).
The nine-time winner from 43 starts was last seen finishing sixth in the group one Breeders’ Cup Sprint after a tough trip.
“After the Breeders’ Cup I was always dreaming of coming to places like Saudi Arabia and Dubai,” Barocio said.
“He got a really bad trip in the Breeders’ Cup. He got squeezed and was left like 10 lengths behind, but then he started really closing. Unfortunately, then he couldn’t find room.
“He had to keep going inside and outside of horses down the stretch and in the end gets beat by about six lengths for the whole thing. He came back after the race and he was mad.
“After the Breeders’ Cup I said, ‘you know what, let’s focus on the big races and see what he can do,’ and that’s what we’re doing. He’s got an attitude, which I like, and he has his quirks. You just have to know him and I know he’s doing great.”
Lovesick Blues continued his preparation with a proper leg-stretcher around the King Abdulaziz Racecourse dirt track on Sunday morning with exercise rider Danny Ramsey in the saddle.
“I’m excited and was happy with that,” Barocio said.
“I like to give him a little open gallop for a couple furlongs to give him a feel for the track and let his muscles get loose. I like the way he did that and I like that he was on his toes coming off the track. He’s something else. All signs point to a great day, hopefully, so far.”
Climbing his way up gradually from the claiming ranks, though the allowance conditions, and ultimately becoming an earner of $830,000, it now seems that Lovesick Blues is at his peak at age 8.
“He’s ready to go,” Barocio said. “I won’t do much more with him. He will have a couple of easy days and jog on the training track, then come to the main track another day, then jog on the small track the day before the race.
“Before coming here, he had some really good works and I think I have him ready. Danny said he’s really liking the track, so all we can do is pray at this point and keep dreaming.”
