QREC
In the presence of H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Qatari-owned horses continued to dazzle at the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris yesterday.
Lady Princess (General) gave her owner Sheail Bin Khalifa Al Kuwari another prestigious title in less than 24 hours! These colours were also carried to success the day before in the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains (Gr1 PA) by Hadi de Carrère (Nieshan). Lady Princess is trained by Thomas Fourcy, who in fact trained the first four home in the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Juments (Group 1 PA)!
In second was Um Taj (Al Mamun Monlau), third Meethag (Dahor de Brugère) and fourth Ryme Al Cham (Af Albahar) – all in the colours of Al Shaqab Racing! Lady Princess was ridden by Christophe Soumillon, who also won the first race of the day.
The filly sat quietly in second last through the race, which was run at a very steady pace in heavy ground. Once in the straight, she came immediately on the attack, flying down the center of the track past her opponents!
Naturally, Thomas Fourcy was delighted! “I am having an extraordinary weekend! Yesterday I won the two Group 1’s for the Arabs at Saint-Cloud and now this. Last year i had a superb batch of three-year-olds and with them this year we have won some good prizes. They haven’t ran that much due to the confinement and they have stayed nice and fresh. To have four horses finish in the first four places is incredible. Lady Princess has a huge heart. She hasn’t got a lot of flair but she knows how to get the job done… Christophe Soumillon, her jockey, was super patient. She is only small but she is much stronger than the others”
Christophe Soumillon added, “She sat down in the stalls and we didn’t get a great break. Despite this I didn’t want to force her early on, I knew beforehand that she is a lot faster than the rest of the field. I would have liked to have held her up in last place but Quitte lost a bit of ground. We got a little bump turning for home but once I asked her for an effort she accelerated with ease”
These victories further enhance the standing of Purebred Arabian races sponsored by Qatar, reflect the success of QREC’s vision of promoting Purebred Arabian racing worldwide, and foster Qatar’s pioneering image in this discipline.
The first day of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend hosted other eight races at ParisLongchamp. Nasser Bin Sherida Al Kaabi, QREC CEO, took part in the trophy presentation of the day’s races.
Qatar Prix Chaudenay: VALIA reigns supreme
The opening race of the weekend of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Qatar Prix Chaudenay is a Group 2 race for 3-year-olds- stayers over the long distance of 3,000 meters, was won is impressive fashion by the filly VALIA (Sea The Stars x Veda). Owned by her breeder, H.H Aga Khan, she is trained in Chantilly (France) by Alain de Royer Dupré and was ridden by the retained jockey for the Aga Khan Studs, Christophe Soumillon.
He gave her a beautifully patient ride, for her first run over the 3,000m trip, coupled with the particularly heavy conditions (4,8 on the going stick). Held up in last for the majority of the race, Valia then came with a strong run up the middle of the tack and easily got the better of both Nemean Lion (Golden Horn) and Step by Step (Sidestep).
“Today was her first attempt at both the ground and the trip but she has had an excellent run there.” said Royer Dupré, “She is a classy mare. After she suffered some interference in the Vermeille, we couldn’t take the risk in running her in a race as high standard as the Arc. She has done that easily, even if the distance was a shade long. She will be better over 2,400m but we didn’t have much of a choice with our program and we will continue to aim towards to the Prix Royal-Oak (Group 1). Realistically, there are no other opportunities this year for her at Group 1 level.”
Christophe Soumillon added, “Today was the perfect entry for her. She is a quality filly and acts well on the heavy ground. We didn’t have to cover too much extra ground there and that has enabled us to win comfortably. We have gone a normal gallop, but I have rarely seen the track as heavy as that.”
Qatar Prix Dollar: SKALLETI wins for a second year running
The Qatar Prix Dollar, a Group 2 over 1,950m, reunited eight runners including last year’s winner SKALETTI (Kendargent), who runs in the colours of French owner Jean-Claude Seroul. He was brought to the race in perfect condition by trainer Jerome Reynier, and did not disappoint! He won brilliantly under jockey Maxime Guyon, despite being hampered in running by Racing Storm (Galileo). He finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of PATRICK SARSFIELD (Australia), for trainer Joseph O’Brien.
Jérôme Reynier commented, “Maxime Guyon has to make his presence felt to make sure he didn’t get blocked in his run, and thanks to this he was able to get out of the peloton, making a challenge down the inner and got the better of a horse who it looked like had slipped the field. He needed to be quite strong to pull that off. The Champions Stakes would be the race that would suit him the most but that comes quite quickly (in two weeks) and the logistics of taking a horse to England at the moment are complicated.
He will stay in Chantilly for a week and we will make our decision based on how he recovers and based on what our options are in terms of travel. It would be a shame however not to attempt a race like that, considering he hasn’t run that much this year and is in fantastic form”
Maxime Guyon was full of praise for his mount, “We won so easily there, he loves that ground. He really is an incredibly classy horse. The leader had only a rating of 33.5(74), so we were never too worried about pegging him back, especially on this ground. We would have been worried if it was a better horse in front but as it turned out it was the ones behind me that struggled to close. When I started to make a move through the field I really had a lot of horse. His trainer told me to try and come as late as I can because he only does what he needs to beat the rest. It was very easy and I even eased up 20m from the line.”
Qatar Prix De Royallieu (Gr1): WONDERFUL TONIGHT shines today
The Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Gr1) crowns the leading filly of the 3-year-old generation over the distance of 2,800 meters. WONDERFUL TONIGHT came into the race having finished fifth in the Prix Vermeille (Gr1) on Qatar Arc Trials day. She was partnered once again by jockey Tony Piccone and, having made a tremendous effort to get to the front, despite his best efforts she hung to her left and almost came across to the stands rail. Danger came from Pista (American Pharoah), on the inside rail, who was finishing strongly. Fifty metres from the line there was very little between the two fillies, who were well clear of the remainder of the field. Crossing the winning line, it was Wonderful Tonight who proved the superior by little more than a length! Some way behind the first two home, Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) finished third.
Tony Piccone reflected on the filly’s performance “Once she is headed in a race she does a bit too much and it’s for this reason that last time out at ParisLongchamp, even though we were just behind the leader, she was quite complicated. If the race was run over 2,400m I certainly would have made more use of her. But i really wanted her to be alone and have no horses around her here. For the mare and her connections, I really would have been disappointed to be beaten. Sometimes she pulls quite hard but continues to breathe regularly. Coming down the hill she was feeling great and I left her stride-on accordingly. Then she began to hang, but as we were alone I let her continue to cross the track, she’s truly incredible! After the race, she calms back down, it’s exceptional really. I am very happy.”
Haras De Bouquetot – Criterium De La Vente D’Octobre Arqana – JADOOMI shows speed
A devastating turn of foot three hundred metres from home meant that JADOOMI(Holy Roman Emperor) crossed the line seven lengths clear to take the Haras de Bouquetot – Criterium de la vente d’Octobre Arqana for the training partnership of Simon & Ed Crisford in Newmarket. Jadoomi, who is bred by Elevage Du Morotolla, was drawn in stall twelve and broke on terms before being settled towards mid-division. An incredibly fast pace through the first 1,000m saw the field considerably stretched out on the turn for home. Jadoomi’s jockey Michael Barzalona looked comfortable with his mount throughout the 1,600m contest and angled the horse out for a challenge as they entered the home straight. Once he found his cadence, Jadoomi closed strongly on the leaders and soon stretched clear of the field, finishing seven lengths clear of nearest pursuer Django Unchained(Pastorius) with Pouvoir Royal (Mayson) back in third.
Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein (Gr2): THE REVENANT returns
The Revenant (Dubawi) put up an impressive performance to defend his title in the Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein. The horse, who runs in the colours of Al Asayl France, had not been seen in competition since an excellent second place in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1), at Ascot in 2019. Despite the long absence, he was presented in perfect condition by Chantilly-based trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. In the home straight, the five-year-old got the better of Ziegfeld (New Approach), who was always close-up, ahead of Motamarris (Le Havre), who on his first effort over the mile, took third place.
Francis-Henri Graffard was ecstatic with his performance, “He is one of the horses we don’t run that often. Getting a horse ready to run is already complicated enough and even more so with good horses like him, you need other good ones to go with them and without putting too much stress on them either. I am happy with that. His exercise rider knows him off by heart and assured me he was as well as when winning this last year. I was still a bit stressed but now I’m relieved. He is a super horse. We missed the early part of the season but we respected him and now he is paying us back.”
Jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot continued, “Last year he won this race very impressively, but that was after a five-month break. But today it was almost a year since his last race. Apart from that, this was a great win and Ziegfield is a good horse too. I am happy with that for a comeback run and the horse still has a bit of work to do, he is still a bit round. He should come on a bit for that. Today he was favorite and he confirmed his place in the market there, he is a top-quality horse.”
Qatar Prix Du Cadran: A race for the history books
The Qatar Prix du Cadran lived up to all its promises. This edition of the French marathon, the stayer’s championship, will be one of the most remarkable races in memory… A true jewel in racing history. It was won by the Irish raider Princess Zoe (Jukebox Jury) in an extraordinary turn of events.
When the terrain is as heavy as Saturday, and the distance is so long (4 kilometers!), logically one would save one’s horse for the closing stages. That was not, however, what Eddy Hardouin di onboard Alkuin’s (Maxios). On the contrary, the French rider set a brutal pace up on the lead! Under the hellish pace, his competitors fell away one by one – some finishing the race nearly pulled up. Frédéric Rossi’s protégé held the lead until the 3988m mark in the 4000m race… before ceding in the final five meters of the race by the only runner who had been able to follow him at his crazy pace: the Irish challenger Princess Zoe (Jukebox Jury). The finishing distances attest to the grueling pace, from the first two they were respectively: 15 lengths, 9, 1 1/4, a distance, a distance, 7, 8… Zoe Princess’ jockey Joseph ‘Jo’ Sherida could not believe that he had just won his first Group 1 and was struggling to stifle his tears of joy. “It’s a dream come true.” he said, “I didn’t think I’d win a Group anytime soon, let alone a Group 1. I thank all those who gave me the chance to ride this race. I owe them so much.”
Tony Mullins, who trained the winner spoke at the press conference, “I thought I was going to have a heart attack in the closing stages! When I saw Princess Zoe hit the lead, I felt a feeling I had never felt before. It’s unbelievable! I was confident that she could finish well and come and win. It’s a very big win for me, it’s my first Group 1 on the flat. She’s a mare who’s improved so much as she gets older. That’s all she did. Therefore, we may well come back to run the Arc next year. Indeed, it is as good over long distances as it is over 2,400 meters. We were very confident before the race and she met our expectations. »
Qatar GRAND HANDICAP DES JUMENTS: A brave performance for EUDAIMONIA
She took a little while to find her stride in the extremely testing conditions encountered but ultimately Eudaimonia(Vision d’Etat) was very impressive in taking the Qatar Grand Handicap des Juments over 2,000m on Saturday at ParisLongchamp. Trained by up and coming young trainer Edouard Monfort, Eudaimonia completed a hat-trick for her owners Rebecca Philipps and John Hammond(her former trainer) when scoring by and eased-down five lengths at the line.
Not always at ease on the heavy going, Eudaimonia was a slightly detached last of the twelve-strong field on the downhill section of the course and was always nudged along by her jockey Mickael Barzalona.
Once back on the level the four-year-old, who was bred by M.Tschopp and Haras de Grandchamp, began to weave her way through rivals and on turning for home was switched to the centre of the course by Barzalona. With longtime leader Planetlove (Planteur) acting as a good target to aim at, Eudomonia firmly closed on the outside and went on to win with plenty in hand, completing a double on the day for Barzalona. The blinkered Sea Watch(Siyouni) stayed on strongly to claim second with Lady Sidney (Mr. Sidney) taking third.
Fireworks to end the day
A thrilling finish to the final race of the day with Queenhope (Kendargent) getting the better of the strong finishing Sunflower(Le Harve) by a short head. Carrying the colours of Patrick Barbe and bred by Guy Pariente Holding Queenhope was confidently steered to victory by young rider Megane Peslier in the Prix Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club handicap over 2,000m.
Scoring for a second time for her Chantilly-based trainer Satoshi Kobayashi, Queenhope broke quickly from stall six and sent straight into the lead by Peslier, who set good solid fractions. With 400m left to race it looked like Queenhope was going to fall victim to a wave of challengers up the centre of the course but the three-year-old battled hard and came out on the right side of the photo finish with Sunflower, who finished second and Idiosa(Soldier Hollow) a further head back in third.
Qatar’s victories over the last two days came just before the final day of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend on Sunday, 4 October. The finale will have a nine-race card, including seven Gr1 contests, highlighting the standing of the event as one of the most prominent racing occasions in Europe and the world. The two main feature races of the star-studded card are the Gr1 P/A Qatar Arabian World Cup, the world’s P/A championship race, and the Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the world’s best race. The day will kick off at 3:15 pm (Qatar time) in the following order:
3:15pm: Gr1 Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardere (Grand Cirterium) – 2YOs – 1,400m
3:50pm: Gr1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches – 2YO fillies – 1,600m
4:25pm: Gr1 P/A Qatar Arabian World Cup – 4YO+ – 2,000m
5:05pm: Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – 3YO+ – 2,400m
5:50pm: Gr1 Prix de l’Opera Longines – 3YO+ fillies and mares – 2,000m
6:25pm: Gr1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines – 2YO+ – 1,000m
6:55pm: Gr1 Qatar Prix de la Foret – 3YO+ – 1,400m
7:25 pm: Qatar Grand Handicap des Flyers – Class 1 – 3YO+ – 1,400m
7:55 pm: Qatar Prix du Centenaire – Class 2 handicap – 3YO+ – 1,400m