1 July 2017, UK ~ It was a Qatari one-two at Goodwood on the afternoon of 2 July 2017 as Tayf fought hard to edge out Ebraz by a nose on the line in the Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA).
Owned by HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani and trained by Alban De Mieulle, Tayf had been beaten by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Ebraz, trained by Julian Smart when they last met in the HH Emir’s Sword in Doha in February. In a desperately close finish which required a photo to separate the pair, it was Tayf that emerged the winner.
Whilst both horses are trained in France in the summer months, this was certainly the worst weather and underfoot conditions either horse had faced in their careers.
Speaking after the race De Mieulle said: “Both horses are good and I know Tayf is a nice horse and Olivier Peslier rode him very well today. We did not know if he would handle the ground; he’s done very well and I am pleased with him.”
Win Time: 1:5:.77
Tayf had not been seen out since the Doha race, however Ebraz had the benefit of a European run, winning a Group 3 in France last month. De Mieulle continued regarding Tayf: “Yes, we don’t want to push him too much, because the season is long, coming from Qatar to Europe, so we will wait now and go straight to Chantilly for the Qatar World Cup.”
Results for the Purse of £400,000:
- Tayf, owned by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin K Al Thani, jockey – Olivier Peslier
- Ebraz, owned by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani, jockey – Alan Monro
- Prada T, owned G T Zoetelief, jockey – A de Vries
- Nafees, owned by Royal Cavalry Of Oman, jockey – Valentin Seguy
- Furry, owned by V Deutrom, jockey – Tadhg O’Shea
- Crahck, owned by James Owen, jockey – Miss Joanna Maso
Gemma Cobb, Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) Racing Operations Executive said: “That was a really exciting finish with two of the world’s best Arabian horses fighting it out to the line in desperate conditions. We congratulate both sets of connections and also those of Prada T who has now been placed in this race three times.”
“Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club have been sponsoring Arabian racing in the UK since 2009 and inaugurated this race in 2015, as the first leg of the Doha Triple Crown Series. It is an honour to play host to such a high-profile race and we hope that maybe this years’ winner could be the first to make history by going on to win the Triple Crown and claim the bonus too.”
The second and third stages of the Triple Crown are the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Gr1PA), run at Chantilly in October, and the HH Emir’s Sword (Gr1PA) to be run in Doha in February 2018. This series links together three of the most prestigious international racing events and also carries a $1,000,000 bonus to any horse that can win all three stages.
Photos: Juhaim and Zuzanna Lupa
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