Agencies
After annexing the HH The Amir Trophy (Group 1) and Carl Jaspers-Preis (Group 2) earlier in the season, French King, owned by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani, stretched his unbeaten record this season to three at Hamburg on Sunday with a win in the Group 2 Grosser Hansa-Preis.
In the early stages of the 2,400-metre run, the son of French Fifteen stayed in third keeping Royal Youmzain in his sights. He pounced after the leader Oriental Eagle switched left with 300m to go.
With Olivier Peslier astride, French King’s brilliant turn of foot enabled him to nail the race after effortlessly going clear. Jaber Abdullah’s Royal Youmzain was the runner-up for trainer Andreas Wohler with Eduardo Pedroza in the saddle. Stall Reckendorf’s Colomano completed the frame. He was saddled by Markus Klug and ridden by Adrie de Vries.
The winning trainer, Henri-Alex Pantall, said that his charge will now be aimed at the Grosser Preis von Berlin (Group 1), adding that a return to Qatar during the winter could also be on the cards.
It is worth mentioning that French King’s victory in Carl Jaspers-Preis (Gr2) in May this year made him the first Umm Qarn-bred horse to take home a Group success for thoroughbreds in Europe.
On Sunday, he confirmed his class by adding another similar victory in less than two months and the success of Umm Qarn’s breeding operation.