The closing date for the supplementary entry stage for the Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA) is Wednesday 20 July at 12 noon
12 July 2016, Goodwood, UK ~ Representatives from the Arabian Racing Organization as well as Arabian trainers Beverley Deutrom and James Owen were in attendance at a press launch held at the Saatchi Galley in London on 11 July, to emphasize the details of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. The Goodwood Festival runs 26-30 July. The £400,000 Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA) will be run on Saturday, 20 July, on the final day of the five-day annual Festival, and all events will be on the historic Sussex Downs racecourse.
Clerk of the Course, Seamus Buckley said, “I walked the course this morning and I am very pleased with the condition of the track at this early stage. We are trying to produce the best possible racing surface and with 37 races plus the Arabian race and the Magnolia Cup, we will run more races than at Royal Ascot, so it’s a big task.”
Trainer Beverley Deutrom, with six of the 26 entries at the first entry stage, was interviewed by Nick Luck. She said. “I would expect fifty percent of them to go [to Goodwood]; some are still improving and we’ve still got a couple of weeks.”
Asked about her recent Newbury winner that also holds a Goodwood entry she said, “I’m very excited with Bakir De Flauzins, he was previously trained in France and I was really pleased with him and for his new owners.”
Deutrom agreed that staging these Group 1 Arabian races at high-profile Thoroughbred events such as the Qatar Glorious Goodwood Festival, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend, and the HH Emir’s Sword Festival (the three in the Doha Triple Crown) was significantly raising the profile of Arabian racing worldwide and was of huge benefit to all. She also thanked the Arabian Racing Organization and Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club for putting these races on at such prestigious meetings.
Questioned about the quality of the competition she said. “We have the best horses coming from all over the world trained by the likes of Julian Smart, Alban de Mieulle and Thomas Fourcy. I have a couple of unexposed horses with really good, supportive owners, so for them to win a race like this would be amazing. We just have to see what happens.”
~ end supplied report