23 November 2014, UK ~ A field of six has been declared for Thursday’s £50,000 Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club UK Arabian Derby (Group 1 PA), at Newmarket Racecourse when the historic three-day Cambridgeshire Meeting gets underway.
French-trained runners have a good record in this contest, landing eight of the last 14 runnings. Najlaa and Nahee, both making their UK debuts, have the chance to maintain their impressive strike rate in the 2014 renewal, sponsored for the first time by Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club.
Damien De Watrigant, who won the race in 2003, saddles Najlaa, who in France has never finished out of the frame and is partnered by multiple Group race winning jockey Paul Hanagan. Jean-Pierre Totain is responsible for the second French raider, Nahee, who will be looking to go one better after finishing second in the Group 3 Prix Dormane at La Teste in July.
Both will be keeping a close eye on Leo Braem’s Majd Al Uraiq, the Belgian trainer’s first runner in Great Britain. The Qatari bred colt comes to the UK following a successful summer season in Belgium and France and a strong winter campaign in the Middle East.
UK-based trainer Georgina Ward will be aiming to replicate her 2005 victory with Nekhen Taoui, a recent addition to the yard who finished third in last month’s Dutch equivalent, and the competitive line-up is completed by fellow UK representatives Atilla De Rouaisse and Karar from Beverley Deutrom’s East Sussex yard.
The TurfTrax Sectional Timing and Tracking System (STATS) will be in operation for all races at the Cambridgeshire meeting, including the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club UK Arabian Derby, delivering real-time speed and positioning information to racegoers via the closed-circuit television screens and providing owners, trainers and media with valuable data for post-race analysis.
Amanda Smith, Arabian Racing Organisation Racing Manager said, “This contest is a valuable addition to Qatar Racing & Equestrian Cub’s extensive Arabian sponsorship portfolio and I am positive we will once again enjoy a competitive renewal, run for the first time on the Rowley Mile.”
Probable starting prices:
9/4 Najlaa, 5/2 Nahee, 11/4 Majd Al Uraiq, 8/1 Nekhen Taoui, 10/1 Karar, 12/1 Atilla De Rouaisse
Full declarations: [gview file=”https://horsereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Newmarket-25-September-Declarations.pdf” profile=”2″ save=”1″ cache=”0″]