The Peninsula
Carrying the silks of H E Sheikha Yasmeen Bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani, five-year-old pure-bred Arabian mare Mon’nia (FR) (Amer x Margouia) claimed a third group success when winning the Group 2 PA Criterium des Pouliches in La Teste de Buch, France.
Mon’nia, winner of the Group 1 H H The Amir Sword in February, is trained by Julian Smart and was ridden to success in the Criterium des Pouliches, a race for four-year-old and older Purebred Arabian fillies and mares over 1900m, by Maxime Guyon.
Quickly out of the stall, she found herself cutting out the running and did so at a steady tempo. Turning for home the field were tightly grouped, but Mon’nia was soon asked for an effort and began to pull clear of her rivals 400m out.
H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Artemis (FR) (Azadi x Ocyrrhoe) looked threatening for the majority of the run-in and tried to raise an effort against Mon’nia but it was Khalifa bin Sheail Al Kuwari’s Lady Princess (FR) (General x Nacree Al Maury) who got closest at the finish.
One of the first off the bridle, Lady Princess came with a strong run down the outside, but Mon’nia proved resolute and held on to score by a ½ length at the line. Lady Princess finished runner up for trainer Thomas Fourcy and jockey Julien Auge while the Mrs JF Bernard-trained and Olivier Peslier-ridden Artemis was two lengths further in third.