22 February 2020, Doha, Qatar ~ HH The Amir Sword Festival 2020, the 32nd race meeting of the year at the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC) at Al Rayyan is the most highly anticipated weekend of Doha’s race year. Saturday, 22 February’s eight races were topped with the $1M HH The Amir Sword, the final leg of the Doha triple crown for Purebred Arabians, won in a final slip stream burst of speed by Ebraz.
The Julian Smart-trained Ebraz (Amer x Massamarie) showed an urged and exciting late pace to wind between rivals heading to the post to complete his Triple Crown record win. Ebraz won the first two legs of the series: the July Goodwood International Stakes and then in October won the Qatar Arabian World Cup at ParisLongchamp. Ebraz will be in the record books as the first winner of the Doha Triple Crown which carries a $1 Million Bonus for Al Shahania.
The Race
Stablemate Aaley Al Magam set the pace in the 2400m race and was 7 lengths ahead at 1000m with Umm Qarn’s Chamekh with Yazeed not far behind. As Aaley Al Magam weakened on top of the straight, Yazeed (Munjiz x Al Dahma), ridden by Olivier Peslier for trainer Alban De Mieulle, was joined up front by stablemate Tayf (Amer x Djelmila) with Soufiane Saadi in the saddle. French Champion Jockey Maxime Guyon managed to find a gap between the two Umm Qarn horses and urged his mount forward and Ebraz responded with enthusiasm, pulling away to a victory with a length and three quarters to spare.
Ebraz is the latest of Al Shahania’s great breeding and follows on the heels of recently retired star Gazwan (Amer x Arc de Ciel), winner of multiple Group 1 races including the Qatar Arabian World Cup (2017), H.H THE Amirs Sword GR1 (2018, 2019), the Qatar Gold Sword GR1 (2018, 2019), and the Shadwell Dubai International S. GR1. Al Shahania is owned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani.
QREC has brought together the country’s three biggest race days of the year in The HH Amir’s Sword, offering a little over US$4.3 million in prize-money across 25 turf races at Al Rayyan.
Video The Amir Sword
LADY PRINCESS Wins HH THE AMIR SILVER SWORD
A spectacular run on the long home straight at Al Rayyan Park saw LADY PRINCESS (General x Nacree Al Maury) complete a hat-trick for the colors of Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari on Saturday. Cristophe Soumillon was in the saddle of the Thomas Fourcy-trained filly for the HH THE AMIR SILVER SWORD (4yo PA). After staying behind another Fourcy’s ward, Emporio for the bulk of the race, Soumillon had his mount pick up the pace coming off the bend and then just kept pulling away for a spectacular victory in the USD 250,000 race.
METHGAL Wins QATAR INTERNATIONAL CUP GR1
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Methgal (TM Fred Texas x Theeba) found some late reserves on the home straight to ease through to a memorable victory in the QATAR INTERNATIONAL CUP (GR1 PA) (4yo & older). Coming off a handicap victory last month, the colt settled midfield under Maxime Guyon even as the Mickael Barzalona-ridden Khozan set the pace early on. 
Julien Auge had the Thomas Fourcy-trained Shalaa (Dahess x Dormadora) move up on the outside two furlongs out and take the advantage. However, the Julian Smart-trained Methgal too joined the leader and pulled away 100m out for a one length victory. Umm Qarn’s Marid (TM Fred Texas x Al Dahma) completed the top three under Olivier Peslier.
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