WALDGEIST denies ENABLE ahistoric treble in Gr 1 Qatar Prix De L’arc De Triomphe

Mdmar – Paris – JDG

Photo – Juhaim

WALDGEIST wins Qatar Prix De L’arc De Triomphe (Gr 1)

HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani crowned the connections of WALDGEIST with the trophy of the Gr 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe following the 5YO chestnut horse win the World’s Best Horse Race.

It was the race of the decade. The champion mare ENABLE (NATHANIEL) was attempting a record third victory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1), the best race in the world. A hundred meters from the line, she had taken the lead from her main rivals, Jockey Club (Gr1) victor SOTTSASS (SIYOUNI) and JAPAN (GALILEO), winner of the Grand Prix de Paris (Gr1) and the Juddmonte International (Gr1). Frankie Dettori and ENBALE were hugging the rail and the wonder mare was battling bravely to line in the very testing ground, when the 5-year-old horse WALDGEIST (GALILEO), ridden by French champion jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot, who had been making up ground down the centre of the track on the better ground, came to pass her inside the final furlong for victory in this legendary race. WALDGEIST is owned in partnership by GestütAmmerlandand Newsells Park Stud. He is trained by the French magician, André Fabre in Chantilly. This was Fabre’s 8th Arc winner: a new record in this race.

WALDGEIST has been an incredibly consistent horse at the highest level throughout his racing career, number 9 victories – 8 of which are Group victories, of which 4 at came at Group 1 level – and 5 places – all at Group level. He has never been out of the money in his thirteen lifetime starts. His lifetime earnings now total €4,349,180.

Co-owner and breeder of Waldgeist via GestütAmmerland, Dietrich von Boetticher commented, « It is an incredible feeling to win the Arc. It’s a race that you can try a lifetime to win and, in general, not succeed! It has taken us some time to get here. We bred Hurricane Run, who won the Arc but not in our colours. To win these races, sometimes you have to know how to be in a partnership, which is what we did with Andreas Jacobs, the owner of Newsells Park Stud. We were worried about the ground today. It was a real test. But this horse is stronger and better than ever. I did not expect to beat Enable, nor see him accelerate as he did in the straight.”

ALBIGNA wins Gr1Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac

The 2-year-old filly ALBIGNA (ZOFFANY) ran out the authoritative winner of the opening race, the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr1), on the Sunday of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend. Trained in Ireland by Jessica Harrington for the Niarchos Family, who also bred her, thechestnut filly was winning the first Group 1 of her juvenile year. The soft ground did not seem to worry her today and she showed impressive acceleration under guidance from jockey Shane Foley in the final furlong to emphatically shut the door on her rivals. MARIETA (SIYOUNI) finished in second by 2 ½ lengths, with FLIGHTLY LADY (SIR PERCY) in third ½ length further back.

VICTOR LUDLUM scores in Gr1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère sponsored by MANATEQ

The undefeated VICTOR LUDLUM (SHAMARDAL) flew home to mark a French-trained victory in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère Sponsored by MANATEQ (Gr1). In the care of French maestro André Fabre, VICTOR LUDLUM sat quietly in mid-division, tracking ARMOURY who races for the Coolmore silks. German raider ALSON took the lead and led the race at an uneven pace in testing conditions. ALSON looked to have the race in hand under Frankie Dettori in the straight, but ARMOURY and VICTOR LUDLUM traced his acceleration coming down the centre of the track of the better ground. VICTOR LUDLUM took the lead in the final 50 meters, winning by just under a length. He was partnered by his regular rider MickaelBarzalona.

VILLA MARINA romps home to Gr1 win Prix De L’operaLongines

It was another Group 1 victory for French-trained horses in the Prix de l’OpéraLongines (Gr1), when VILLA MARINA (LE HAVRE) came to snatch the win in the final strides. Trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias for the colours of a S.A.R.L. Darpat France, she produced a copybook performance in the straight in the hands of Olivier Peslier.  FLEETING (ZOFFANY) came with a late run for second place, but could not quite get to the winning filly. Coronation Stakes heroine,WATCH ME (OLYMPIC GLORY) finished in third, not having had the clearest of runs in the straight.