A talented Group performer as a 3-year-old, when he finished 3rd in the Gr.1 PA Al Rayyan Cup and again 3rd in the Gr.1 PA Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains, the Al Shaqab Racing and Nada Moussali-owned MOUNJARED AL CHAM (FR) (Azadi x Al Moutawakila) only made one racecourse appearance as a 4-year-old last year when injured finishing 5th in the Gr.3 PA Prix Nefta-Dormane. Thomas Fourcy’s trainee made his reappearance after this injury as a 5-year-old just a month earlier on the 15th May, when going down by the smallest of noses to his stable and colour companion JOUD AL CHAM (FR) (Azadi x Taj Al Chame).
MOUNJARED AL CHAM went one better on Wednesday, 9 June, when winning, by an impressive 5-length margin, the Prix BA Toustem at La Teste De Buch, France. He was ridden by Jerome Cabre in this 1,900-metre race for four-year-old and older Purebred Arabians. The jockey sat him in mid-division next to JOUD AL CHAM, who was again running against him. In the straight, JOUD AL CHAM came quickly in the inside, followed by MOUNJARED AL CHAM. The latter moved up to join his stable companion on the front line of horses, and at the 200-metre mark, showed a top class acceleration to quickly pull clear of the field, hitting the line strongly. ARION (FR) (Dahess x Kiss De Ghazal) finished second for Mrs JF. BERNARD and jockey Gregory Benoist. The Jean De Mieulle-trained and Olivier Olivier D’Andigné-ridden LAMET SHAMEL (QA) (AF Albahar x Valuta Khan) was further two and three-quarter lengths behind in third. HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani’s homebred SARHAN (FR) (Mared Al Sahra) and JOUD AL CHAM were fourth and fifth respectively.
“He has matured, and he accelerated well to finish which was nice to see”, commented Trainer Thomas Fourcy, “His jockey wanted to bring him up between horses, but gap narrowed and the horse was a little timid. Last year, he was injured in his only start. He has since strengthened and matured and that is why he was able to accelerate as well as he did today. He has run twice this year and I have end-of-year targets for him. We will try to win a Group race with him and then aim for the Group 1 races in the Autumn. He could go abroad, possibly to Qatar, as he likes fast ground.”
Source: Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club