DEAUVILLE: As part of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (QREC) strategy to enhance Qatar’s presence at the world’s top racing events, the QREC-sponsored Qatar Prix Jean Prat will be run at Deauville, France, today.
The 2020 renewal of the Gr1 race, reserved for three-year-olds over a sevenfurlong trip will be the feature event of the QREC fully sponsored bumper nine-race card, which includes another group event and three listed races.
The day will kick off at 2:25 pm and round off with the last race at 7:10 pm (Doha time). The Qatar Prix Jean Prat will start at 5:25 pm. Eleven group and listed winners have been declared in the Gr1 event and all of them have proved themselves over this trip. Al Shaqab Racing will be represented by the group winner and placed Wooded (IRE).
The son of Wootton Bassett will be coming off a well-earned Gr3 victory, which was his first black-type success when he landed the Prix Texanita seeing off his nearest rival by three and a half lengths at Chantilly in May.
The extra furlong at Deauville should not be a concern for the bay colt as four of his five career-starts have been over seven furlongs and he has not finished outside of the top three in all of them.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, Wooded will be taken to enhance his strike rate to three and gain his first Gr1 success for the silver and maroon colours. He will be partnered by Christophe Soumillon.
André Fabre shares the title of the leading trainer of the Prix Jean Prat with François Mathet and François Boutin with five wins each. The master French trainer will be looking for his sixth success and holding the top spot with two group winners.
Alson (GER) (Areion) won a Gr1 last October in his penultimate start. Tropbeau (GB) (Showcasing), who is the only filly among the boys, came fourth in a Gr1 last month following a Gr3 win in May. Charlie Appleby will have two runners.
Pinatubo (IRE) (Shamardal) boasts an excellent strike rate with six wins in eight starts, including two Gr1s and a Gr2. Aidan O’Brien will be fielding two runners. Lope Y Fernandez (IRE) (Lope De Vega) will be ridden by Ioritz Mendizabal. Arizona (IRE) (No Nay Never), who will be steered by Ryan Moore, has a Gr2 win under his belt and that was in June last year.
Molatham (GB) (Night Of Thunder), who won a Gr3 last month in his latest start will be representing Roger Varian and will be partnered by James Crowley. Kenway (FR) (Galiway), who is trained by Frederic Rossi, has won three races so far, including a listed and Gr 3. He will be ridden by Theo Bachelot. The Ralph Beckett-trained kinross (GB) (Kingman) has had two attempts at Gr 1 level and was mid-field in both of them and Pinatubo was third in the latest one in early June.
It is interesting that Qatar Racing Limited’s Kameko (USA) (Kitten’s Joy) was the winner of both events. Harry Bentley will partner Kinross. Malotru (GB) (Casamento) will be seeking his first group success, for his trainer Marco Botti, following three attempts at this level rounding off with the second place in a Gr2 in early June. Andrea Atzeni will be in the saddle.
In addition, the nine-race card will feature another group race and three listed runs. The Gr3 Qatar Prix de Ris-Orangis for three-year-old and older horses over six furlongs will start at 6:00 pm Doha time.
The Listed Qatar Prix Kistena will be reserved for three-year-olds over six furlongs and will start at 3:35 pm. The Listed Qatar Prix Amandine will be for threeyear-olds over seven furlongs and will start at 4:50 pm.
The Listed Qatar Prix De La Calonne - Fonds Europeen De L’elevage will start at 6:35 pm. The meeting will kick off at 2:25 pm (Doha time) with the Qatar Prix des Yearlings for two-year-olds over six furlongs. Seven runners have been declared in the Class 2 race, including Sheail bin Khalifa Al Kuwari’s Saqr (FR).
