Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend at Chantilly racecourse

Al Mourtajez
Photo: Juhaim

2 October 2016, Chantilly, France ~ Al Mourtajez under jockey Julien Auge’ has handily won the 2016 edition of the Arabian World Cup (Gr1 PA), Sunday, 2 October, at Chantilly race course outside of Paris.

Owned by the Al Shaqab Racing operation and trained by Thomas Fourcy, Al Mourtajez conserved his 2015 title at this race with his win with a lead of over four lengths.

After a slow start out of gate 10, the four-year-old son of Dahess edged through the pack and about the half-way mark emerged to take a definitive lead to the finish. Mehdaaf Athbah (Amer), showing great promise, came in second and another Amer son, Tayf came in third, a lucky supplement to the race.

Photo by Juhaim

This is the second leg of the Qatar Triple Crown won by Al Mourtajez, having already triumphed in the Qatar International Stakes, part of the Qatar Goodwood Festival in July. A win at the Doha, February 2017, HH Emir’s Sword would land him the triple $1,000,000 bonus. Overall the five-year-old son of Dahess had accumulated seven Group 1 wins coming into the Arc weekend, each finished with a lengthening run at the end.

Thomas Fourcy commented: “It’s incredible. The more he races the better he gets. He is a champion, a horse above normal. Now the Triple Crown is on our fine radar. I don’t have enough good things to say about this horse today. Julein (Auge’)did not even have to raise his whip.”

Trainer Alban De Mieulle, twice winner of the Qatar Arabian World Cup, said before the race that he thought Al Mourtajez was unbeatable. De Mieulle trained his sire, Dahess, and said he sees similar characteristics in Al Mourtajez with his champion sire.

Arabian World Cup (Gr1 PA)
Chantilly – plat – 4ans et plus – 2.000m
1 : AL MOURTAJEZ
(Dahess x Arwa, x Nuits St Georges)
Owner : Al Shaqab Racing
Trainer : Thomas Fourcy
Breeder : Hassan Mousli, Nada Mousalli & Faiz Al Elweet
Jockey : Julien Augé
2 : MEHDAAF ATHBAH
3 : TAYF

More Winners at the Arc de Trimphe

Prix Marcel Boussac –
Wuheida/William Buick/C Appeby

Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
National Defense/PC Boudot/C Head-Marek

Prix de l’Opera
Speedy Boarding/F Tylicki/J Fanshawe

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
Found/R Moore/A O’Brien

Prix l”Abbaye de Longchamp
Marsha/L Morris/M Prescott

Prix de la Foret
Limato/H Bentley/H Candy

~ end