In QREC-sponsored Qatar Arc Trials.. Friendly Soul strikes in Gr1 Qatar Prix Vermeille
- Erdenali claims Gr1 Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
- HM Alchahine seals another Gr1 PA crown in Qatar Cup
JDG
The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)-sponsored Qatar Arc Trials delivered a day of high-class action at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, 6 September 2026. HE Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the French Republic, QREC Chairman Mr Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, QREC Board Member Mr Khalifa bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah and QREC Deputy CEO Mr Ahmed Amanalla Al-Sheebani were present at ParisLongchamp and crowned the winners of the day’s feature races.
A stacked nine-race card, comprising seven Group contests run under the Qatar banner, served up an afternoon of exceptional quality, tense tactical battles and thrilling finishes. The key results from the five feature Gr1 and Gr2 races unfolded as follows:
Friendly Soul Lands Second Gr.1 in the Qatar Prix Vermeille
Friendly Soul (Kingman), the five-year-old mare, recorded the second Gr.1 victory of her career by winning the Gr.1 Qatar Prix Vermeille over 2400m. The race was reserved for three-year-old and older fillies and mares and attracted a strong field of thirteen runners.HE Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the French Republic, crowned the winning connections after the race.
Trained by John & Thady Gosden, ridden by James Doyle, and owned by George Strawbridge, Friendly Soul showed plenty of courage to make all and hold on strongly in the closing stages.
The mare came into the race after an excellent second place behind Diamond Necklace in the Gr.1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood in July. She was already a Gr.1 winner, having landed the Gr.1 Prix de l’Opéra Longines in 2024, and this latest success gave her a second victory at the highest level.
Friendly Soul broke very well and quickly found herself in front, with no other runner showing much interest in taking the lead. She raced a little keen in the early stages, while Tattycoram (Camelot) settled in second position behind her.
At the end of the back straight, Composing (Wootton Bassett) moved up on the outside of Friendly Soul and began to put pressure on the leader. In the false straight, the two mares suddenly increased the pace and quickly pulled around four to five lengths clear of the rest of the field, with Tattycoram in third and Sparan Nua (Dawn Approach) in fourth.
Entering the final straight, Composing began to weaken, leaving Friendly Soul alone in front and still clear of the rest. Inside the final 300m, she continued to hold a good advantage, while Pink Panthera (Chachnak) started to make strong progress from behind.
Pink Panthera continued to close in the final stages, but Friendly Soul showed a very good attitude and kept finding enough under pressure to hold off her rivals. She eventually won by three-quarters of a length, with Pink Panthera finishing second and Sunly (Night Of Thunder) taking third.
Bred by George Strawbridge, Friendly Soul is out of In Clover (Inchinor), a Gr.3 winner.
She is a half-sister to With You (Dansili), a Gr.1 winner, and to We Are (Dansili), also a Gr.1 winner. Friendly Soul is also a half-sister to Call The Wind (Frankel), another Gr.1 winner, as well as to In Crowd (Dubawi), a Listed winner, and Dream Clover (Oasis Dream), a dual Listed winner.
Erdenali Reaches the Top Level in the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
Erdenali (Caravaggio), the progressive three-year-old gelding, recorded the biggest success of his young career by winning the Gr.1 Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp over 1600m. QREC Chairman Mr Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah awarded the trophies to the winners after the race.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, ridden by Mickael Barzalona, and owned and bred by Aga Khan Studs SC, the homebred colt showed once again the quality he had displayed from the start of his career.
Erdenali came into the race after an unlucky third place in the Gr.3 Prix Messidor at Chantilly, where he had nowhere to go at a crucial stage and looked unfortunate not to win.
Before that, he had won his first three races with ease, including a Listed race over 1500m at Deauville on his third start. This latest success took his record to four wins from five starts and gave him his first victory at Gr.1 level.
Erdenali broke well and was soon settled in midfield, just behind the favourite Gstaad (Starspangledbanner). The race was led by Dorset (Wootton Bassett) and the very keen Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath), who both helped set a strong tempo.
Entering the false straight, the two leaders increased the pace again and opened up a gap of around two lengths. Erdenali, meanwhile, was travelling very strongly in fifth position, still behind Gstaad.
As most of his rivals began to come under pressure approaching the final straight, Erdenali was still travelling comfortably. With a few lengths to make up on the leaders, Mickael Barzalona began to ask him for an effort and he quickly moved into third position, while Ten Bob Tony (Night Of Thunder) challenged him on the outside.
Inside the final 200m, Erdenali went past Opera Ballo, but Ten Bob Tony was still right alongside him and continued to challenge strongly.
However, inside the final 100m, Erdenali found something extra and pulled away again to win by one and a quarter lengths. Ten Bob Tony finished second, while Gstaad took third.
Winning trainer said: “I’m pleased, because to be honest I haven’t been having a very good day, so at least this makes up for it a little. He’s a good horse and he won very well. He really lengthened his stride all the way down the straight, so I’m very happy with him … Last time, he was unlucky and was boxed in throughout the straight. It was effectively a non-race for him, but these things can happen. We never lost confidence in the horse.”
Bred by Aga Khan Studs SC, Erdenali is out of Erdana (Sea The Stars).Erdana is a daughter of Ervedya (Siyouni), a three-time Gr.1 winner over 1600m at three. Ervedya was also a dual Gr.3 winner, successful over 1200m at two and 1400m at three.Erdana is also a half-sister to Erevann (Dubawi), a Gr.2 winner over 1600m at three and a Gr.3 winner over the same distance at the same age. Erevann was also placed at Gr.1 level over 1600m at three.
HMAlchahine Dominates the Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon
HMAlchahine (Al Mourtajez), the six-year-old Purebred Arabian, recorded another top-level success by winning the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon over 2000m. The race was reserved for four-year-olds and older Purebred Arabians and attracted a field of five runners. QREC Chairman Mr Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah crowned the winning connections after the race.
Trained by Mme Jean-François Bernard, ridden by Cristian Demuro, and owned by Mr Helal Alalawi, HMAlchahine produced a very easy performance to register the sixth Gr.1 (PA) victory of his career.
HM Alchahinecame into the race after winning the Gr.1 (PA) Doha Cup – Prix Manganate over 2000m at Deauville when last seen, and once again confirmed his class at the highest level.
HMAlchahine broke well but was soon steadied by Cristian Demuro and settled in second-last position, just behind Al Riffaa (Al Mourtajez). Shaihaan (Al Mourtajez) led the field at a slow pace, and the positions remained mostly unchanged through the first part of the race.
The favourite travelled a little keenly at times but remained under control. Entering the false straight, Demuro moved HMAlchahine to the outside of Al Riffaa, anticipating the increase in tempo.
He quickly moved up to join the leaders, with his jockey allowing him to stride on a little. Turning into the final straight, HMAlchahine was still travelling very easily while the rest of the field were already being asked for their effort.
Inside the final 300m, he was still cruising and had yet to be seriously asked, while Shayeg (Al Mamun Monlau) and Geneva (Azadi) began to fight for the minor places.
HMAlchahine soon went clear and was never in danger. Cristian Demuro only needed to ride him hands and heels inside the final 100m as he came home an easy four-length winner. Geneva stayed on to finish second, while Shayeg took third.
Bred by H. Mousli and Mme N. Mousalli, HMAlchahine is out of Al Chyhanah (Munjiz) and is a full brother to HM Al Zalmaa (Al Mourtajez), a Gr.1 (PA) winner over 2000m at three who was also successful over 1400m at the same age.
Al Chyhanah is a half-sister to Al Seif (Tidjani), a winner over 1700m at four, and to Al Mouzna (Dormane), who finished second over 2000m at three.
Aga Khan Studs Complete a Memorable Treble at ParisLongchamp with Varandir and Daryz
Aga Khan Studs enjoyed a memorable afternoon, completing a treble on the card after earlier success with Erdenali, before Varandir (Zarak) landed the Gr.2 Qatar Prix Niel and Daryz (Sea The Stars) won the Gr.2 Qatar Prix Foy.QREC Board Member Mr Khalifa bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah presented the Gr 2 Qatar Prix Niel trophies to the winning connections while HE Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the French Republic, awarded the winners of the Gr.2 Qatar Prix Foy.
Both horses are trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, ridden by Mickael Barzalona, and owned and bred by Aga Khan Studs SC.
Varandir came into the Qatar Prix Niel after finishing fourth in the Gr.1 Grand Prix de Paris. That was the only defeat of his career so far, having won his first three starts before that run.
The three-year-old colt returned to winning form at ParisLongchamp and is now four wins from five career starts, with this latest success marking the first Gr.2 victory of his career.
Bred by Aga Khan Studs SC, Varandir is out of Varkesha (Pivotal), a Listed winner over 1600m at four. Varkesha is out of Varana (Sea The Stars), a winner over 1600m at three.
Later on the card, Daryz added another important success to his record by winning the Gr.2 Qatar Prix Foy.
The four-year-old colt, Daryz, came into the race after finishing third in the Gr.1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot when last seen in June. Before that, he had won both of his starts at Gr.1 level this year, taking the Gr.1 Prix Aga Khan IV (Prix d’Ispahan) over 1850m and the Gr.1 Prix Ganay over 2100m.
His victory in the Qatar Prix Foy was therefore another strong performance in what has already been an excellent season.
Bred by Aga Khan Studs SC, Daryz is by the legendary Sea The Stars and out of Daryakana (Selkirk), winner of the Gr.1 Hong Kong Vase over 2400m at four. Daryakana was also a Gr.2 and Listed winner over 2400m at three.
Daryz is a half-brother to Dariyan (Shamardal), winner of the Gr.1 Prix Ganay over 2100m at four and runner-up in the Gr.1 Dubai Turf over 1800m at the same age.He is also a half-brother to Devemani (Dubawi), a multiple winner between 1900m and 2400m at three and four, and to Darkaniya (Frankel), a Gr.2 winner over 2400m at four.
