Sheail Al Kuwari’s LADY PRINCESS dazzles at ParisLongchamp winning Gr1 P/A Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe

H.E. Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani present in Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

New victory for Qatar in Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend

In presence of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani, President of Qatar Olympic Committee, Qatari-owned horses continued to dazzle in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend. Sheail Bin Khalifa Al Kuwari-owned LADY PRINCESS was the impressive winner of the QREC-sponsored Gr1 P/A Qatar Arabian Trophie des Juments, for four-year-old fillies over 2,000m at ParisLongchamp on Saturday, 3 October. LADY PRINCESS’s win was yet another demonstration of Qatar’s leadership in Purebred Arabian racing, especially as it took place only 24 hours following two other Gr1 P/A victories landed by Al Shaqab Racing’s ALAWSJ in the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches and Sheail Bin Khalifa Al Kuwari’s HADI DE CARRERE in the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains at St. Cloud.

Lady Princess (General) gave her owner Sheail Bin Khalifa Al Kuwari another prestigious title in less than 24 hours! These colours were also carried to success the day before in the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains (Gr1 PA) by Hadi de Carrère (Nieshan). Lady Princess is trained by Thomas Fourcy, who in fact trained the first four home in the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Juments (Group 1 PA)!

In second was Um Taj (Al Mamun Monlau), third Meethag (Dahor de Brugère) and fourth Ryme Al Cham (Af Albahar) – all in the colours of Al Shaqab Racing! Lady Princess was ridden by Christophe Soumillon, who also won the first race of the day.

The filly sat quietly in second last through the race, which was run at a very steady pace in heavy ground. Once in the straight, she came immediately on the attack, flying down the center of the track past her opponents!

Naturally, Thomas Fourcy was delighted! “I am having an extraordinary weekend! Yesterday I won the two Group 1’s for the Arabs at Saint-Cloud and now this. Last year i had a superb batch of three-year-olds and with them this year we have won some good prizes. They haven’t ran that much due to the confinement and they have stayed nice and fresh.  To have four horses finish in the first four places is incredible. Lady Princess has a huge heart. She hasn’t got a lot of flair but she knows how to get the job done… Christophe Soumillon, her jockey, was super patient. She is only small but she is much stronger than the others”

Christophe Soumillon added, “She sat down in the stalls and we didn’t get a great break. Despite this I didn’t want to force her early on, I knew beforehand that she is a lot faster than the rest of the field. I would have liked to have held her up in last place but Quitte lost a bit of ground. We got a little bump turning for home but once I asked her for an effort she accelerated with ease”

 These victories further enhance the standing of Purebred Arabian races sponsored by Qatar, reflect the success of QREC’s vision of promoting Purebred Arabian racing worldwide, and foster Qatar’s pioneering image in this discipline.

The first day of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend hosted other eight races at ParisLongchamp. Nasser Bin Sherida Al Kaabi, QREC CEO, took part in the trophy presentation of the day’s races.

Qatar Prix Chaudenay: VALIA reigns supreme

The opening race of the weekend of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Qatar Prix Chaudenay is a Group 2 race for 3-year-olds- stayers over the long distance of 3,000 meters, was won is impressive fashion by the filly VALIA (Sea The Stars x Veda). Owned by her breeder, H.H Aga Khan, she is trained in Chantilly (France) by Alain de Royer Dupré and was ridden by the retained jockey for the Aga Khan Studs, Christophe Soumillon.

He gave her a beautifully patient ride, for her first run over the 3,000m trip, coupled with the particularly heavy conditions (4,8 on the going stick). Held up in last for the majority of the race, Valia then came with a strong run up the middle of the tack and easily got the better of both Nemean Lion (Golden Horn) and Step by Step (Sidestep).

“Today was her first attempt at both the ground and the trip but she has had an excellent run there.” said Royer Dupré, “She is a classy mare. After she suffered some interference in the Vermeille, we couldn’t take the risk in running her in a race as high standard as the Arc. She has done that easily, even if the distance was a shade long. She will be better over 2,400m but we didn’t have much of a choice with our program and we will continue to aim towards to the Prix Royal-Oak (Group 1). Realistically, there are no other opportunities this year for her at Group 1 level.”

Christophe Soumillon added, “Today was the perfect entry for her. She is a quality filly and acts well on the heavy ground. We didn’t have to cover too much extra ground there and that has enabled us to win comfortably. We have gone a normal gallop, but I have rarely seen the track as heavy as that.”

 Qatar Prix Dollar: SKALLETI wins for a second year running!

The Qatar Prix Dollar, a Group 2 over 1,950m, reunited eight runners including last year’s winner SKALETTI (Kendargent), who runs in the colours of French owner Jean-Claude Seroul. He was brought to the race in perfect condition by trainer Jerome Reynier, and did not disappoint! He won brilliantly under jockey Maxime Guyon, despite being hampered in running by Racing Storm (Galileo). He finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of PATRICK SARSFIELD (Australia), for trainer Joseph O’Brien.

Jérôme Reynier commented, “Maxime Guyon has to make his presence felt to make sure he didn’t get blocked in his run, and thanks to this he was able to get out of the peloton, making a challenge down the inner and got the better of a horse who it looked like had slipped the field. He needed to be quite strong to pull that off. The Champions Stakes would be the race that would suit him the most but that comes quite quickly (in two weeks) and the logistics of taking a horse to England at the moment are complicated.

He will stay in Chantilly for a week and we will make our decision based on how he recovers and based on what our options are in terms of travel. It would be a shame however not to attempt a race like that, considering he hasn’t run that much this year and is in fantastic form”

Maxime Guyon was full of praise for his mount, “We won so easily there, he loves that ground. He really is an incredibly classy horse.  The leader had only a rating of 33.5(74), so we were never too worried about pegging him back, especially on this ground. We would have been worried if it was a better horse in front but as it turned out it was the ones behind me that struggled to close. When I started to make a move through the field I really had a lot of horse. His trainer told me to try and come as late as I can because he only does what he needs to beat the rest. It was very easy and I even eased up 20m from the line.”

The Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Gr1) crowns the leading filly of the 3-year-old generation over the distance of 2,800 meters. WONDERFUL TONIGHT came into the race having finished fifth in the Prix Vermeille (Gr1) on Qatar Arc Trials day. She was partnered once again by jockey Tony Piccone and, having made a tremendous effort to get to the front, despite his best efforts she hung to her left and almost came across to the stands rail. Danger came from Pista (American Pharoah), on the inside rail, who was finishing strongly. Fifty metres from the line there was very little between the two fillies, who were well clear of the remainder of the field. Crossing the winning line, it was Wonderful Tonight who proved the superior by little more than a length! Some way behind the first two home,  Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) finished third.

Tony Piccone reflected on the filly’s performance “Once she is headed in a race she does a bit too much and it’s for this reason that last time out at ParisLongchamp, even though we were just behind the leader, she was quite complicated.  If the race was run over 2,400m I certainly would have made more use of her. But i really wanted her to be alone and have no horses around her here. For the mare and her connections, I really would have been disappointed to be beaten. Sometimes she pulls quite hard but continues to breathe regularly. Coming down the hill she was feeling great and I left her stride-on accordingly. Then she began to hang, but as we were alone I let her continue to cross the track, she’s truly incredible! After the race, she calms back down, it’s exceptional really. I am very happy.”

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Haras De Bouquetot – Criterium De La Vente D’Octobre Arqana – JADOOMI shows speed !

    3:15pm: Gr1 Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardere (Grand Cirterium) – 2YOs – 1,400m

    3:50pm: Gr1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches – 2YO fillies – 1,600m

    4:25pm: Gr1 P/A Qatar Arabian World Cup – 4YO+ – 2,000m

    5:05pm: Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – 3YO+ – 2,400m

    5:50pm: Gr1 Prix de l’Opera Longines – 3YO+ fillies and mares – 2,000m

    6:25pm: Gr1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines – 2YO+ – 1,000m

    6:55pm: Gr1 Qatar Prix de la Foret – 3YO+ – 1,400m

    7:25 pm: Qatar Grand Handicap des Flyers – Class 1 – 3YO+ – 1,400m

    7:55 pm: Qatar Prix du Centenaire – Class 2 handicap – 3YO+ – 1,400m

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