Lady Princess (foreground) is one of the main contenders to win the Qatar International Stakes.
Doha: The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) received top class entries for the Qatar International Stakes, a Group 1PA run over a mile as part of the Qatar Goodwood Festival on July 27.
The £400,000 race is the most valuable Arabian race in the UK and the most valuable race over a mile for Arabians in Europe. The race has seen many of the highest rated Arabians in the world compete and win such as Al Mourtajez, Muraaqib, Tayf and Lady Princess, as well as Ebraz, the only horse to win it twice.
Last year’s winner Lady Princess has since finished second in the Qatar Arabian World Cup in Paris, won the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nayhan Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi and the HH The Amir Sword in Qatar making her the highest rated Arabian mare in the world. Trained by Thomas Fourcy for Khalifa bin Sheail Al Kuwari, the diminutive mare has now won six top level races and has not finished out of the first three in her 14 starts, the majority of which are all black type races.
Also in the list is the American bred First Classs, who has joined Jean de Mieulle from his uncle Alban de Mieulle for a European campaign. The five-year-old son of Dahess had a fantastic winter in the Gulf, winning the Qatar Derby for four-year-olds in December and then raised the bar in Saudi Arabia winning their first $1m Turf race for Arabians, the Al Mneefah Cup.
Third highest rated is Hattal, trained by Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte for YAS Horse Racing Management. He has five Group 1 PA wins to his name, including the UAE President Cup-UK Arabian Derby at Doncaster in 2020.
Mwarid is one of two representatives from Al Shaqab Racing, who first won this race in 2016 with Al Mourtajez. His three wins this winter include the Late Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani National Day Trophy and was last seen finishing second to Lady Princess in the HH The Amir Sword. Their other entry Aajel, is a lightly raced four-year-old who was Group 3PA placed on his latest start and is trained by Thomas Fourcy.
Francois Rohaut, who trained Muraaqib to win in 2017, has entered two contestants, Samlla and Djafar. The Al Shahania bred Samlla runs in the colours of HE Sheikha Reem bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani and is a dual Group 1 winner, scoring in Deauville’s Al Rayyan Cup (Prix Kesberoy) and has since won the Qatar International Cup over this distance as part of this year’s HH The Amir Sword Festival.
Also entered from France is Ghurat Al Zaman. She is a daughter of her owner-breeder Al Nujaifi Racing Ltd’s multiple Group 1PA winning stallion Hilal Al Zaman who has been having a fantastic season around the globe. Entered from Sweden is Djelano owned and trained by Maria Hagman-Eriksson and the winner of the Wathba Stallions Sprint Cup, a Listed PA contest on the dirt at Jagersro last October.
The domestic challenge is also strong with the UK’s highest rated mare Bayan Athbah seeking to add to her two Group 1PA wins of 2021.
Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club Chairman (QREC) said: “We are proud of our sponsorship of the Qatar International Stakes as one of our most valuable races and part of our commitment to promote Arabian racing.”
“We are very pleased to see this race, once again, attracting some of the world’s top Arabians and promising to be a fabulous addition to the Qatar Goodwood Festival. I’m sure fans of all forms of racing will be fascinated by the spectacle of the Arabian horses at Goodwood," he added.
