Paris, 2 October 2023 - His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani crowned the winners of the Qatar Arabian World Cup, which was won by Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Ghadeer. HE Sheikh Hamad bin Joaan al-Thani received the trophy during the awarding ceremony, which was attended by Issa bin Mohamed al-Mohannadi, QREC Chairman.
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani also awarded the winners of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which was won by Ace Impact. Sheikh Ali bin Jassim al-Thani, ambassador of Qatar to France was present during the awarding ceremony on the finale of the 2023 renewal of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, held under Qatari sponsorship represented by the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), on Sunday.
QREC chairman Issa bin Mohamed al-Mohannadi presented the trophies to the winners of the Gr1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac. Also present on the big day were Fahad bin Ahmed Jassim al-Hamar, Minister-Counsellor, Deputy Chief of Mission of Qatar Embassy in France, awarded the winners of the Gr1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère.
Khalifa bin Mohamed al-Attiyah QREC, Board Member, Bader Mohamed al-Darwish, QREC Acting CEO, Abdulla Rashid al-Kubaisi, Racing Manager, Ahmed Amanalla al-Sheebani, Director of Support Services Department, Dr Nasser Ahmed al-Hamar Director of Public Relations and External Communications, Salem Khejaim al-Adbi, Director of Marketing who crowned the winners of Gr1 Qatar Prix de la Foret, Sami Jassim al-Boenain, Adviser to QREC Chairman, and Saoud Hamad al-Hababi, Director of the QREC CEO Office.
Impressive winner of the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar Derby des Pur-Sang Arabes de 4 Ans at Chantilly in June, the incredible Purebred Arabian colt Al Ghadeer (Al Mourtajez x Gharra’a) landed the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar Arabian World Cup.
Carrying the colours of his owner Al Shaqab Racing and trained by master trainer Francois Rohaut, the four-year-old came into the race on the back of six successive victories including three Gr.1 (PA). Al Ghadeer became one of the all-time greats in Arabian racing by winning impressively the €1,000,000 Qatar sponsored contest at ParisLongchamp.
Now a four time Gr.1 (PA) winner, Al Ghadeer offered a fourth Gr.1 (PA) success for Al Shaqab Racing in the last forty eight hours.
Al Ghadeer was never too far from the leaders of the field and travelled with sublime ease in the 2000m contest. Entering the final straight and sill not pressed on by jockey Christophe Soumillon, the four-year-old was angled out wide of the leaders to win by two lengths under a hands and heels ride.
The chasing Al Doha (Al Mourtajez), in the colours of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani, who finished a clear second for trainer Thomas Fourcy and under jockey Olivier Peslier. The Abdulla bin Fahad al-Attiyah-owned and Ch’Ezza (Af Albahar), gave Francois Rohaut another prize in the race, as he, under Maxime Guyon, took third.
The winning jockey said, after the race: “I took a while to get him settled and unfortunately at the top of the hill when the pace slowed down, I had no much stirring as he blocked the bit on one side. So I decided to let him roll progressively. At the beginning of the straight I felt like I was on top of everyone. I didn’t want to ask him too much but then when I saw Olivier coming quickly on the outside to challenge us, I asked him to stride on a bit and he did it with ease. He’s a smart horse, He’s a real champion.”
Bred by M. Mohamed al-Nujaifi Racing Limited (Ar), Al Ghadeer is out of dual Gr.2 (PA) winning mare Gharraa (Matador 12).
Winner of the Gr.1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, the Gousserie Racing & Ecuries serge Stempniak – owned Ace Impact (Cracksman) marked his place in the history books with a brilliant victory in the world’s most famous race, the Gr.1 Qatar sponsored Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Taking on fifteen rivals in the €5,000,000 contest, the son of Cracksman who is trained by Jean-Claude Rouget was ridden by loyal partner Cristian Demuro.
Ace Impact was stepping up to 2400m for the first time. The three-year-old was having the sixth start of his young career and came into the race unbeaten.
As always, the held up Ace Impact travelled with enthusiasts throughout the contest.
Soon after the cut away, the colt was angled out wide and quickly eaten up the ground. Once in the lead, he saw off multiple challengers to score nicely by one and three-quarter lengths.
Ace Impact beat the British raider Westover (Frankel) while Onesto (Frankel) ran an eye-catching race to finish third from last.
An emotional Cristian Demuro said after the race: “Incredible, I can’t even speak. I won it the first time, but now... I don’t know why he behaves like that before the race as once we go on track he’s a different horse. Look, he didn’t even race. He sprinted in the home straight like at home. There is no one that can challenge him, no one can take him on. It’s extraordinary to ride champions like him. I would like to thanks the whole stable, they do a fantastic job. I don’t complicate things with him, I just ride him as he wants to be ridden.”
Bred by Mrs Waltraut Spanner, he is out of Absolutely Me (Anabaa Blue) and is half-brother to four times winner Alessandro (Australia).
Breathtaking winner when landing the Pat Eddery Stakes, the talented two-year-old Rosallion (Blue Point x Rosaline) bounced back to win the Gr.1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere – Grand Criterium. Trained by Richard Hannon and with his regular partner Sean Levey, the homebred Rosallion offered a first success in this race to owner Sheikh Mohamed Obaid al-Maktoum.
A quality field of ten went to post for the 1400m Gr.1 contest, with the unbeaten favourite Beauvatier (Lope De Vega) in the line-up. Henry Adams (No Nay Never) making the running at a blistering pace. Toward the rear of the peloton, Rosallion travelled strongly, despite having to avoid the keen striding Evade (Wootton Bassett). Once he found a clear passage the colt flew away to win and beat the gamely Unquestionable (Wootton Bassett) by one length. While the favourite Beauvatier took third.
Winning jockey Sean Levey said after the race: “He felt expectational today. He travelled well the last day at Doncaster but he only had two runs before that and didn’t know what to do. He was too immature on that ground so I did not ask him much. He is so babyish. He has got a great mind and as time goes on he will keep growing you know. From draw ten today, I had to take him back, he didn’t really want to and he was so confused. But when I asked him to accelerate he answered beautifully”
Bred by Sheikh Mohamed Obaid al-Maktoum, he is out of an unraced mare (New Approach, who is half-sister to Gr.1 winner Triple Time (Frankel).
Impressive winner of the Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes at the Curragh when last seen, the two-year-old Opera Singer (Justify) continued to progress by landing the Gr.1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches.
With Ryan Moore in the saddle and trained by Aidan O’Brien, Opera Singer made it three wins from five lifetime starts.
The Ballydoyle filly was having her first go at Group 1 level. Niggled along from the stalls, Opera Singer took the lead and was quickly unchallenged when pulled clear in the home straight to win by five lengths. Rose Bloom (Lope De Vega) was a good second while the runner on Les Pavots (No Nay Never) took third.
Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien said after the race: “She’s very good, she’s a Justify filly and like I said when she stepped up to a mile she really improved. She’s a big strong genuine striding filly and loads of class. Tim rides her at home and does a great job on her so I’m over the moon.”
Bred by Mrs E Stockwell, she is out of Gr.3 winner Liscanna (Sadler’s Wells) and a half sister to Gr.1 winner Hit It A Bomb (War Front) and Gr.1 winner Brave Anna (War Front).
In a thrilling finish, it was the French-trained three-year-old Blue Rose Cen (Churchill) who took the Gr.1 Prix De l’Opera Longines. Sporting the silks of owner Yeguada Centurion Sl and trained by Christopher Head, Blue Rose Cen was dropped in trip after having finished fifth in the Gr.1 Qatar Prix Vermeille over 2,400m.
Ridden by stable jockey Aurelien Lemaitre, Blue Rose Cen tracked the leaders through the early stages of the contest. Travelling well into the straight, Blue Rose Cen was pulled out wide to challenge the game Ballydoyle filly Jackie Oh (Galileo), to finally hit the front inside the final 100m. Lumiere Rock (Saxon Warrior) showed tenacity to take third.
The winning jockey said after the race: “I’m very happy to win with her again. It was too far last time out. Now she knows her job, she only does the minimum. When she runs over the right conditions she delivers as soon as I ask her. She always leaves her heart on the track”
Bred by Yeguada Centurion Sl, she is out of dual Gr.3 winner mare Queen Blossom (Jeremy)
Sporting the colours of Trainers House Enterprises Ltd, the six-year-old homebred, Highfield Princess (Night Of Thunder) continued to climb through the ranks since switched to sprinting distances to land the Gr.1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines.
Trained by John Quinn and ridden with extreme confidence by Jason Hart, the champion mare was sent off favourite in the nineteen runner contest and duly delivered with authority. Highfield Princess is now a four times Gr.1 winner
Off the bridle from the start, the champion mare struggled to keep up the pace as British raider Perdika (Unfortunately) set a fast & furious pace. But once Highfield Princess started to get into a rhythm she flew home to beat the early leader Perdika by one length. Aesop’s Fables (No Nay Never) took third.
Out of breath the winning jockey said, after the race: “She won this with pure guts, I was flat out the whole race. She tried so hard and stuck her neck, she’s a fantastic mare.” Bred by Trainers House Enterprises Ltd, she is out of Pure Illusion (Danehill, who is a daughter of a Gr.3 winner Saintly Speech (Southern Halo). Highfield Princess is also a half-sister to Gr.2 winner Cardsharp (Lonhro).
The Gr.1 Qatar Prix de la Foret – saw the Wertheimer & Frere – owned, Kelina (Frankel) get back to winning ways after showing a huge amount of ability when beating one favourite Sauterne (Kingman) in the Gr.2 Prix de Sandringham in the spring.
The homebred is trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias and was sent off as an outsider for the 1400m contest. A three-year-old, Kelina was one of the youngest of the fourteen runners to line up and contested her first Gr.1. With the star jockey Maxime Guyon in the saddle, Kelina was travelling very keenly through the early stages of the contest and continued the good efforts until she won by half a length ahead of Kinross (Kingman) and further one and a quarter lengths of Shouldvebeenaring ( Havana Grey)
Speaking after the race, the winning jockey said: “She’s a champion, she needs good ground. If it rains she’s not the same filly. On good ground she’s top class and can accelerate very strongly. I’m so happy. It’s not easy to win group 1. I I think my last one was with Polydream for Freddy Head. I’m so delighted.”
From an outstanding family and bred by Wertheimer & Frere, Kelina is out of the Listed Race winner Incahoots (Oasis Dream, who is a half-sister to Gr.1 winner With You (Dansili), Gr.1 winner Call The Wind (Frankel), and Gr.1 winner We Are (Dansili).
