Gulf Times
HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thaniowned Tayf (Amer) landed the Group 1 President of The UAE Cup for four-year and older purebred Arabian horses in Paris yesterday. Tayf gave a brilliant welltimed performance throughout the 2000-metre race, making it a prefect start for his seasonal debut in Europe. In the early stages, he cantered in sixth position and when right moment came, he showed a fantastic turn of foot, chasing and passing Khataab (Amer). Tayf continued his strong surge till the end, securing a decisive win by a margin of three quarters of a length in front of Al Shaqab Racing’s Khataab who came second.
Lightning Bolt (Munjiz) completed the frame by two further lengths behind. “Olivier Peslier knows him by heart”, said the winning trainer, Alban de Mieulle. “We could have run Yazeed in his place, but in a soft ground, Tayf seemed a better choice. He had won in heavy ground in Goodwood. He is back in great form after a long period of absence. It was two years since his last success in England. “We had a hard time getting him back at this level, but he is back. 200m from the post, he had enough energy to take the lead, but his jockey knows how to do and he made him take the advantage at the end because we know he has a tendency to stop once in front.”