Nour Al Maury lands Doha Cup for Al Shaqab Racing , Bianca de Gazal wins Al Rayyan Cup
Salem bin Khejaim Al Adbi, QREC Director of Public Relations and Marketing crowned the winners of the Doha Cup and the Al Rayyan Cup, which are sponsored by QREC and were run at Deauville, France, on Tuesday, 6th August. Both prestigious races are Group 1s for Purebred Arabians and are run over 2,000m. While the Doha Cup is for four-year-olds and older, the Al Rayyan Cup is for three-year-olds. Each of the two contests is the best race of the summer in France for the relevant age category of the Purebred Arabian breed. The 2024 renewal of the Doha Cup was landed by the Al Shaqab Racing-owned Nour Al Maury (Azadi x Nectarina Al Maury) for trainer Thomas Fourcy and jockey Christophe Soumillon while the Al Rayyan Cup was won by the Sultan Hamad Matar Omaira Al Shamsi-owned Bianca de Gazal (Al Mourtajez x Brin d’Amour de Gazal) for trainer X. Thomas-Demeaulte and jockey Maxime Guyon.
Nour Al Maury beats the boys in Doha Cup
After a winning return in the Gr.1 (PA) Sheikh Mansoor Festival – Critérium des Pouliches last month, the five-year-old Nour Al Maury took the Gr.1 (PA) Doha Cup – Prix Manganate and is now a six-time Gr.1 (PA) winner.
Nour Al Maury travelled well in third in a race led by Soko (Nieshan) at a slow tempo. Not happy with the pace Christophe Soumillon went forward to sit half a length of the leader. Still not pressed on when the pace lifted, the fantastic mare went clear to win by two lengths. The well fancied Abbes (Tm Fred Texas) ran on for second while Rb Kingmaker (Baseq Al Khalediah) took third.
Winning trainer said after the race: “A very good ride from Christophe Soumillon. She started to be keen but he decided to go forward. The filly was ready to roll, she made a pleasing return last month. Thanks to Al Shaqab for encouraging me to supplement her as it was not the plan. She always showed ability as a three-year-old but she was more keen and very light physically. But now she travelled, she’s been well looked after by Olivier Peslier who always respected her and today it pays off.”
Bred by Mlle Renee-Laure Koch, Nour Al Maury is out of Nectarina Al Maury (Jalnar Al Khalidiah) and a full sister to Gr.2 (PA) winner No Reply Al Maury (Azadi).
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Bianca De Ghazal improves to land AL RAYYAN CUP
Thirty minutes earlier, the three-year-old, Bianca De Ghazal landed the Gr.1 (PA) Al Rayyan Cup – Prix Kesberoy on her second start, having made an excellent debut to the competition when second at La Teste last month.
With Nahaba (Al Mamun Monlau) leading the race at a slow pace, Bianca De Ghazal was happy to wait in final pair in company with Mahsoub (Al Mourtajez). Once the pace lifted entering the final straight, the superb filly showed a good turn of foot to lead inside the final 300m. She quickly pulled clear to win by two and half lengths. The favourite Mureb (Gazwan) finished second while the free-going Al Jori (Al Mamun Monlau) took third.
Winning jockey said after the race: “Xavier told me that he likes her a lot. We rode her today for a place but she proved that she was too good. We didn’t go very fast early on and that’s why a few horses was pulling. But my filly really accelerated strongly.”
Bred by Haras De Ghazal EARL Al Pices, she is out of Brin D’Amour De Gazal (Zippy Al Maury, who is a full sister to Gr.3 (PA) winner Boum De Ghazal (Zippy Al Maury), and a half sister to Listed placed Bellisima De Ghazal (Munjiz).
“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.
