1 August is the first stage of the $1,000,000 Bonus Doha Triple Crown
28 June, 2018 ~ The prestigious Qatar International Stakes (GR 1 PA) that will be run at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on Wednesday, 1 August 2018, promises an exciting renewal both in quality and quantity in terms of entries in the early closing stage passed on 27 June, for the first leg of the Doha Triple Crown.
2017 saw a Qatari one-two as Tayf fought hard under Olivier Peslier to beat Ebraz and win by a nose for owner Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani and trainer Alban De Mieulle. Both of these horses hold entries for the 2018 race and will fly the flag for Qatar and their training base in France should they arrive on the day.
50% of entries have been made by international trainers handing a truly global flavor to proceedings on the day with representatives from France, Qatar, and the Netherlands, the latter where Karin Van Den Bos trains the well-respected Lightning Bolt. Francois Rohaut has also entered Muraaqib after his very successful campaign in 2017, and Julian Smart, second last year with Ebraz, has also entered Gazwan to represent Qatar. UK candidates include Mehdaaf Athbah for trainer Phil Collington and owner Athbah Stud, and the progressive Zayin Angkor Centurion for Peter Hammersley and owner/breeder Paul Simmons.
The Doha Triple Crown’s second stage is the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Gr1PA), held at the celebrated Arc meeting in October. 2018 will see this race return to the Paris track at Longchamp following its two year refurbishment and the meeting’s subsequent transfer to Chantilly. The third stage for the HH Emir’s Sword (Gr1PA) will be run in Doha in February 2019 at HH The Emir’s Sword Festival, and is one of the biggest events on Qatar’s horse racing calendar attracting many of the world’s best Purebred Arabians to race. The Doha Triple Crown series unites three of the most prestigious international Arabian races in the world and there a bonus of $1,000,000. to any horse that wins all three stages.
The Qatar International Stakes at Goodwood is a one mile contest with an overall prize fund of £400,000, with £200,000 to the winner. Declarations close on Monday 30 July at 11:00 (BST) for the race that will be run on Wednesday, 1 August.
Willie McFarland ARO Operations Manager stated. “ARO are very privileged to stage the first leg of such a high-profile international Arabian event. Having seen the entries I now can’t wait to see the race come to fruition; bringing a race like this to Goodwood is a massive boost to the profile of Arabian racing in the UK, and we thank sponsors Qatar and the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club for their immense support in driving this fantastic initiative forwards”
The Arabian racing Organisation has proudly delivered the UK first stage of the Doha Triple Crown, the Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA), at Goodwood Racecourse since its inception in 2015.
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