Massive Qatari success at conclusion of Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
LADY PRINCESS Champion of Qatar Arabian World Cup
Al Shaqab Racing scores second victory with PLACE DU CARROUSEL
ALPINISTA lands Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
Doha
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani crowned the winners of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the winners of the Qatar Arabian World Cup at ParisLongchamp racecourse yesterday.
His Excellency Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, received the Prix de l’Opera Longines following the Gr1 victory of PLACE DU CARROUSEL in Al Shaqab Racing’s colours and joined ownership with Ballylinch Stud. It was the second success for Al Shaqab Racing with Noor Al Maury winning the Qatar Arabian Trophy for Fillies at Saint Cloud on Friday.
Crowning the champions
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani crowned Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari, owner of LADY PRINCESS, with the Qatar Arabian World Cup, following the champion mare’s victory in the iconic Gr1 PA Race. His Highness also crowned Kirsten Rausing, owner of ALPINISTA, with the Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, following the champion filly’s amazing victory in the World’s Best Horse Race. His Excellency Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, QREC Chairman was present during the trophy presentation ceremony.
His Excellency Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani, President of Qatar Olympic Committee, received the Prix de l’Opera Longines from Matthieu Baumgartner, Longines Vice-Président for Marketing, following PLACE DU CARROUSEL’s success in Al Shaqab Racing’s colours and joined ownership with Ballylinch Stud.
LADY PRINCESS ALL CLASS IN QATAR ARABIAN WORLD CUP
Heartbreakingly close to landing the same contest in 2021, the incredible pure-bred Arabian mare Lady Princess (General x Nacree Al Maury) carried the colours of her owner Sheikha Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari to a ninth top-flight success when landing the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar Arabian World Cup at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, October 2nd.
Masterfully handled by leading Arabian trainer, the French based Thomas Fourcy, Lady Princess came into the race on the back of four successive victories at Gr.1 (PA) and stamped her place as one of the all-time greats in the Arabian racing sphere with her impressive success in the €1,000,000 Qatar sponsored contest at ParisLongchamp.
As is her style, Lady Princess was held up at the rear of the field by jockey Jim Crowley and travelled with sublime ease throughout the early stages of the 2000m contest. Still in last position on entering the straight, the six-year-od was angled out wide by Crowley and began to slide past the majority of her fifteen rivals. Taking over inside the final 200m, Lady Princess quickened clear to score by a length and three quarters from the legendary Ebraz (Amer), with Diafar (Dahess) a further three lengths back in third.
AMAZNG ALPINISTA TAKES QATAR PRIX DE L’ARC SUCCESS
Now a six-time Gr.1 winner, Kirsten Rausing’s the five-year-old mare Alpinista (Frankel) marked her place in the history books with a brilliant victory in the world’s most famous race, the Gr.1 Qatar sponsored Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Taking on nineteen rivals for the €5,000,000 showpiece, the beautiful grey was trained by seventy-four-year-old training legend Sir Mark Prescott and was ridden by Luke Morris, who has partneres Alpinista on all six of her Gr.1 wins.
Unbeaten since April 2021, Alpinista has now won six Gr.1 races over 2400m spanning across the United Kingdom, Germany and France.
Traveling ominously well throughout the contest, Alpinista copied perfectly with the difficult underfoot conditions and carried her jockey Luke Morris easily into the straight. Once angled out for a run, the courageous grey moved through to lead and saw off multiple challengers to score bravely. Alpinista passed the post with a half a length to spare over Vadeni (Churchill), who finished a neck ahead of last years winner Torquator Tasso (Alderflug).
Speaking after the race, a proud Kirsten Rausing explained the importance of such a success
“We are obviously delighted, and it is incredible to have bred such a mare, especially as she is a sixth generation of one of our families … We will just make sure that she gets home safe and sound for the moment. We will have to go and have a think to see if she runs again this year. We have considered the Japan Cup and the Breeders Cup, but she will go to stud next year”.
AL SHAQAB RACING OWNED PLACE DU CARROUSEL WINS OPERA
Carrying the colours of Al Shaqab Racing, who share ownership with her part breeders Ballylinch Stud, the talented filly Place Du Carrousel (Lope De Vega) sprung a surprise to land the Gr.1 Prix de l’Opera Longines.
Second in the Gr.1 Prix Saint Alary over course and distance earlier in the season and trained by Andre Fabre, Place Du Carrousel was amongst the outsiders for the sixteen runner, 2000m contest but galloped to a clear success under Mickael Barzalona and took the €285,700 first prize in the silks of Al Shaqab Racing.
Held up towards mid-division, Place Du Carrousel ran in snatches in a race dictated by the dual Gr.1 winner and eventual runner up Nashwa (Frankel). Off the bridle early in the straight and with seemingly plenty to do, the filly stayed on strongly up the centre of the course inside the final 200m and went on to score readily from Nashwa, who finished three-quarters of a length back in second, with Above The Curve a short head back in third.
BELBEK LANDS QATAR JEAN-LUC LAGARDERE BRAVELY
The opening race on Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe day, the Manateq-sponsored Gr.1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere went the way of the Andre Fabre trained Belbek (Showcasing), who landed a first Gr.1 contest. In the colours of Khazakstan breeder Nurlan Bisakov, Belbek stepped up to 1400m for the first time and fought bravely to land the Qatar sponsored, €400,000 contest under an excellent ride from Mickael Barzalona. Settled towards the middle of the seven runners, in a race taken along by Vicious Harry (Harry Angel), Belbek travelled well and made headway upon entering the straight. Closing strongly inside the final 300m, he went on to score by a neck from Gamestop (Lope De Vega), with Breizh Sky (Pedro The Great) a further neck back in third.
Fahad Rashid Al Kaabi, CEO of the Economic Zones Company (Manateq) presented the trophies to the winners.
BLUE ROSE CEN TAKES QATAR PRIX MARCEL BOUSSAC
Continuing a fantastic season for her trainer Christopher Head, the two-year-old filly Blue Rose Cen (Chruchill) was a mighty winner of the Qatar sponsored Gr.1 Prix Marcel Boussac. She stamped her authority inside the closing stages of the €400,000 Qatar sponsored contest in the colours of her owner Yeguada Centurion Slu and under a confident ride from jockey Aurelian Lemaitre. Cantering through to lead against the rail inside the final 400m, Blue Rose Cen quickly put distance between her and her rivals. A superb performance, Blue Rose Cen crossed the line five lengths clear of Gan Teorainn (Saxon Warrior), with Never Ending Story (Dubawi) a short head back in third.
His Excellency Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, QREC Chairman, presented the trophies to the winners.
TWO-YEAR-OLD QUEEN TAKES ABBAYE
Leading from the start, Middleham Park Racing owned two-year-old filly The Platinum Queen (Cotai Glory) produced a phenomenal effort to win the Gr.1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines at ParisLongchamp. Receiving plenty of weight from all seventeen of her rivals, the supersonic juvenile became the first two-year-old winner of the 1000m Gr.1 contest in over 40 years and was given a positive ride by leading jockey Hollie Doyle. Despite being beaten on Nashwa (Frankel) just over 30 minutes previously, Doyle managed to regain focus and quickly got Middleham Park Racing owned The Platinum Queen across to the rail on leaving the stalls. Blitzing through the race, the filly held on by a short head to score from the Karl Burke trained four-year-old White Lavender (Heeraat), with Coeur De Pierre (Zanzibari) a further neck back in third.
KINROSS TOO GOOD IN QATAR PRIX DE LA FORET
In the final Gr.1 race on a sensational afternoon of racing, the five-year-old gelding Kinross (Frankel) carried the silks of his owner Marc Chan to success in the Gr1 Qatar Prix de la Foret, presented by the Education Above All Foundation (EAA)
A specialist at the 1400m distance and now a five-time stakes winner, the Ralph Beckett trained gelding took on nine rivals for yesterday’s €350,000 Qatar sponsored contest and made it seven consecutive British trained winners in the 1400m race. Under the saddle of Frankie Dettori, the five-year-old was held up on the outside towards the rear of the field in a race dictated by the free-going Japanese runner and eventual third, Entscheiden (Deep Impact). Asked for an effort 400m from home, Kinross closed strogly on the leaders and pulled away to win by two lengths from the Everest Racing owned filly Malavath (Mehmas), with Entscheiden a further length back in third.
Mrs Aisha Al Mannai, of the presented by the Education Above All Foundation, presented the trophies to the winners.
Source: Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club