H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani presenting the Qatar Prix De l’Arc De Triomphe winner's trophy to the presentative of Sottsass, the new thoroughbred World Champion.
Paris: The eight-year-old Tayf (Amer), in the colours of H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani, stormed to victory in the Qatar Arabian World Cup on the final day of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc weekend yesterday.
Jockey Olivier Peslier guiding H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Tayf to the Qatar Arabian World Cup victory.
At the ParisLongchamp racecourse, Tayf was one of the most experienced campaigners in the field, but success in the Qatar Arabian World Cup had previously eluded him. On this occasion, he was making his fifth appearance in the world championship of Purebred Arabian (PA) racing. He landed the spoils under jockey Olivier Peslier and for trainer Thomas Fourcy - who won all the big races for Purebred Arabians during the course of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc weekend.
Tayf raced in mid-division before going on the offensive in the open stretch, as Messi (Dahess) tried to give his rivals the slip. He clawed back the leader inch by inch. Ebraz (Amer), the favourite and defending champion, had to settle for third, having been unable to unleash his habitual finishing kick on this occasion.
Thomas Fourcy, winner of all four Group 1 Purebred Arabian races this weekend, said, “I had won this race on two previous occasions with Al Mourtajez, who was a genuine crack performer. However, with Tayf it’s different. Alban de Mieulle and His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani decided to send me the horse to train, and it hasn’t been simple due to the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic. I would like to thank them for placing their trust in me. Olivier Peslier rode a peach of a race. Ebraz kept him up to his task in the closing stages. The horse will be returning to the Qatar stable of Alban de Mieulle in a few weeks time. I imagine that he will be aimed at the Amir’s Sword.
Peslier said: “It’s not so much a case of magic Peslier but magic Fourcy! The horse had previously won on this type of ground, and so I was confident. Last time out at Goodwood, he was in need of the race after a lay off. He really hit his stride today. Judged by the way he was responding to the cut and thrust of the race, I said to myself “things are going well.”
Qatar Prix De l’Arc De Triomphe: Sottsass is the new thoroughbred World Champion
The 99th edition of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the world championship race for thoroughbreds, was won by the French-trained Sottsass (Siyouni).
Italian jockey Cristian Demuro (second right) riding Sottsass to victory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, yesterday.
Sottsass is trained in Deauville by Jean-Claude Rouget, ridden by Cristian Demuro, and was bred in Normandy by Écurie des Monceaux (Henri Bozo). His owner is the American Peter Brant (White Birch Farm), an industrialist and art collecter (Jean-Michel Basquiat and pop art artists), who has a huge love for France.
Sottsass was ridden close-up and took a lead from Persian King, who set the pace. Turning into the home straight he only had Persian King to pass – with the two horses veering across to their left inside the final three hundred metres. In Swoop came home strongly in the straight and closed all the way to the line, but too late to get to Sottsass. Persian King, who was trying 2,400 metres for the first time, looked the winner for a moment, having made most of the running.
The great racemare Enable (Nathaniel), who was bidding for a third Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe could only manage sixth, and looked slightly uncomfortable throughout the race. She also suffered some interference in the closing stages and was victim of a wave of rivals hanging across her. There was a stewards enquiry held in the aftermath of the race, but the result was left unaltered. Behind Sottsass the finishing order was In Swoop (Adlerflug), Persian King (Kingman), Gold Trip (Outstrip) and Raabihah (Sea The Stars). It was Jean-Claude Rouget's first ever Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
While Enable could not manage to take a third Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, English mare One Master (Fastnet Rock) made it a hat-trick of successes by winning her third Qatar Prix de la Forêt in a row! A first in the history of the race.
Prix De L’abbaye De Longchamp Longines: Al Shaqab Racing’s Wooded sprints to victory
In the colours of Al Shaqab Racing, Wooded (Wootton Bassett) was the first French trained winner of the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, a Group 1 over the sprint distance of 1,000m, in 10 years! He is trained by Francis-Henri Graffard in Chantilly, was ridden by Pierre-Charles Boudot and bred in Normandy by Haras d’Étreham.
Wooded got the better of last year’s winner Glass Slippers (Dream Ahead) and Liberty Beach (Cable Bay) back in third. The three-year-old colt took advantage of a good draw in stall two and quickly got across to the rail. Not known for being a specialist over the 1,000m and was slightly off the bridle throughout the race but stayed on strongly at the finish.
Francis Graffard was overjoyed with the result.
“I was roaring! I am over the moon for him, hes a horse I love. It has been tough all season with him. I wanted to send him to Royal Ascot but we were unable to travel, I was gutted. Today the plan was to run him over 1,000 to toughen him up for next year, but he’s only gone and won. He galloped last week on the soft ground and “PC” (Pierre-Charles Boudot) said to me that he was a completely different horse. Well done to “PC” who has always said he is fast and well done to the team at home,” he said.
Yesterday’s opening race, the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (Grand Critérium) was won by the French colt Sealiway (Galiway) in a dominant fashion.
Jessica Marcialis become the first woman jockey to win a Group 1 on the flat in France when she won the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Critérium des Pouliches aboard Tiger Tanaka (Clodovil), trained by her partner Charley Rossi.
Meanwhile, the winner of the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Group 1) three weeks ago on Qatar Arc Trials day, the Irish filly Tarnawa (Shamardal) again unleashed an incredible burst of speed which enabled her to follow up in the Prix de l’Opéra Longines.
Bottom weight True Romance (George Vancouver) made it a double on the day for Chantilly-based trainer Francis-Henri Graffard by taking the Qatar Grand Handicap de Flyers over 1,400m.
The final race on Arc weekend went the way of favourite Caliste (Intense Focus) who made all to take the Qatar Prix du Centenaire for Chantilly trainer Fabrice Vermeulen.
