HIGHFIELD PRINCESS lands King George Qatar Stakes FOSROC wins Markel Magnolia Cup On day 4 of Qatar Goodwood Festival
Mdmar – England – QREC
The curtain will fall on Saturday, 5th August on the 2023 renewal of Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)-sponsored Qatar Goodwood Festival. The race meetings of the five-day annual Festival continued over four days before it will reach its finale on Saturday. This year’s edition has had special importance with the huge turnout of spectators at Goodwood, indicating the keenness to be part of the racing extravaganza, being a racing landmark in the UK and Europe. Present at the races of the day were H.E. Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi Chairman of QREC, Fahad Al Sulaiti , CEO of Education Above All, Saad Ali Al Kharji, Deputy Chairperson of Qatar Tourism, Bader Mohammed Al Darwish, QREC Acting CEO, Abdulla Rashid Al Kubaisi, QREC Racing Manager, Salem Khejaim Al Adbi, QREC Director of Marketing, Dr Nasser Ahmed Al Hamar, QREC Director of Public Relations and External Communications, and Saoud Hamad Al Hababi, Director of the QREC CEO Office. EAA were the focus of attention before, during and after the opener of the day, the Markel Magnolia Cup, which was run in support of EAA’s Educate A Child Programme.
On Friday, 4th August, the fourth and penultimate day of the Festival had an eight-race card day. The feature and fifth race was the Gr2 King George Qatar Stakes. The 1,000M sprint for three-year-olds and older is a veritable test of raw speed and has been a key feature of the Qatar sponsored Goodwood Festival since 1911.
“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
The winner of the 2023 renewal was Trainers House Enterprises-owned Highfield Princess (Night of Thunder x Pure Illusion) for trainer John Quinn and jockey Jason Hart. Saad Ali Al Kharji, Deputy Chairperson of Qatar Tourism, crowned the winners after the race.
Earlier on the day, the Paul J Dixon & John Fox-owned and Scott Dixon-trained Fosroc was partnered by Annabelle Hadden-Wight to win the Markel Magnolia Cup. Fahad Al Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All (EAA), was present during the trophy presentation of the the 1,100m race, which saw a Qatari representation by rider Khadija Abdulwahed who rode Classic Touch to finish third. The 12 runners in the race were sponsored by various organisations and all the riders were females. Wathnan Racing sponsored the running of Classic Touch, who was ridden by Khadija Abdulwahed. EAA sponsored the running of Educate A Child and Protect Education. Al Jeryan Stud sponsored the running of Al Bahar. In addition, Qatar Goodwood Festival sponsored the running of Stormingin.
HIGHFIELD PRINCESS back on top
Triple Gr.1 winner and the apple of her trainer John Quinn’s eye, Highfield Princess (Night Of Thunder) claimed her first victory of 2023 when winning the Gr.2 King George Qatar Stakes.
“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
Now a six-year-old, the exceptional racemare was sent off a short-priced favourite for the 1000m named in the honour of the new British monarch.
Rated 117, Highfield Princess faced ten rivals and was partnered by Jason Hart, who was also on board when the mare claimed a trio of Gr.1 successes last summer at Deauville, York and The Curragh.
Quickly out of the gates and in command inside the final 400m, Highfield Princess was asked to extend her advantage close home by Hart and went on to win easily by three lengths over White Lavender (Heeraat), who finished a neck clear of Raasel (Showcasing) in third.
Speaking after the race, her trainer John Quinn outlined his plans for the future with Highfield Princess. “Her plan will be to go back for the Coolmore Nunthorpe and then maybe onto Ireland for the Flying Five.”, he said, “I have been thinking of Australia, but I’ve gone a bit cool on that, but she may go to the Breeders Cup, she is a great traveller”.
“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
Highland Princess went through the ring at Tattersalls December Yearling Sale in 2018, where she was unsold at 29,000gns. A daughter of the dual winner Pure Illusion (Danehill), Highfield Princess is one of five winning produce out of the mare and is a half-siter to the Gr.2 July Stakes winner Cardsharp (Lonhro). The second dam, Saintly Speech (Southern Halo) raced only twice but won the Gr.3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot and has produced seven induvial winners, including Well Spoken (Sadlers Wells), who is the dam of the Gr.3 winner and Gr.1 placed Chrysanthemum (Danehill Dancer) and the Listed placed Spoken To Me (Dylan Thomas).
Annabelle Hadden-Wight wins the 2023 Markel Magnolia Cup
Annabelle Hadden-Wight partnered Fosroc to land the 2023 Magnolia Cup. They were prominent throughout and gamely held off Eliza McCalmont on C.Eliza Doolots.
Since its inception, the Magnolia Cup has raised £2.1 million for various charities. A record £324,000 was raised in 2022, with the sum donated to The Brilliant Breakfast. This year, the Markel Magnolia Cup is supporting Education Above All’s (EEA) Educate A Child programme. All net proceeds will go to a project in Malawi that provides education and support for children most at risk of dropping out of primary education through a joint project between Education Above All and CAMFED.
“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
Hadden-Wight said: “He jumped really well, we got a good start, and I was in front most of the way. I had two each side and I decided that I was not going to let them come past! … It has been an amazing experience … the whole thing has been really well organised and we have been very well looked after.
Khadija Abdulwahed, third on Classic Touch, said: “It was really amazing. That is the first time I have ridden in the Magnolia Cup, I’m so proud that I was a part of this race. I finished third, but I’m happy.”
Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes takes centre stage on final day
The fifth and final day, Saturday 5th August, of the 2023 renewal of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, will have a seven-racecard. The feature and third race of the day is the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes, a Group 2 for three-year-old and older Thoroughbred fillies and mares over 2,800m. In a field of eight runners, the Al Wasmiyah Stud-owned Ghara will take on her seven rivals. The three-year-old daughter of Frankel started her career in November 2022 and has had five runs so far. She won her penultimate outing when she took a 2,300m maiden for three-year-old over 2,300m at Yarmouth on 1st June this year. She then finished in a mid-position over the same distance in a Gr2 for three-year-old fillies at Ascot on 22nd June. She is trained by John & Thady Gosden and will be partnered by Andrea Atzeni on Saturday.
“mdmar” website for horse races and equestrian News
The “Mdmar” website for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
