Jockey Gregory Benoist and Al Shaqab general manager Khalifa bin Mohammed al-Attiyah with Amy Eria after the win yesterday.

 

Agencies/London


Al Shaqab Racing’s and Francois Rohaut trained Amy Eria held on gamely from Osaila to win the Group III L’Ormarins Queens Plate Stakes at Goodwood yesterday.
Ridden by Gregory Benoist, Amy Eria won by half a length from Osaila, who, like the winner, carried the colours of Al Shaqab Racing, headed by HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, and became its second winner of the day and fourth of the week.
Rohaut said: “She was due to run last week at Hannover in Germany, but she had a little problem with her foot so we decided not to go and prepare for this race. She has been in great form and did a tremendous piece of work last week so we felt very confident.
“She loves a long straight and the ground was perfect for her. Seven furlongs is ideal - she won a Listed race at Maisons Laffitte last year over the trip, and at about the same price! She could go for the Group I Prix Foret on Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe day, and we must try for a Group One - we won’t know whether she is good enough unless we try.
“This is my first Goodwood winner, but not my first runner - I had one here at the first running of the Shergar Cup about 25 years ago.”
Al Shaqab Racing Manager Harry Herbert reflected on a stunning week at Goodwood and Amy Eria’s win. “Francois was very positive about the filly and how she had been working. I had bored on to all the trainers in France and England that this was the most important week of the year besides Royal Ascot, and they must put it in their diaries, and so Francois had this race underlined in red ink,” Herbert said.
“Then he said she’s so well and I would love to run and I said ‘fine, let’s fire two bullets’. Osaila has run a lovely race, but probably needs to step up to a mile, while Amy Eria looked fantastic in the paddock, and better than I have ever seen her, and much fuller. She was a Listed winner coming here and now she’s a Group winner.
“It’s ridiculous the way things have gone this week - when I looked at our runners I thought ‘well we’ve definitely got them in the right races’, but like any Festival meeting you are just hoping to be placed and to get a winner somewhere - let there please be a winner of a maiden or just somewhere. But for it to have all gone so well, and the sun to have shone has been wonderful, and everyone connected with Qatar is delighted with the sponsorship.
“The atmosphere here at Goodwood is just incredible - the colour is wonderful and it feels amazing, although it helps when you have winners.
“Fillies like Amy Eria and Osaila will be going to the stud later this year - Benoit Jeffroy, who manages the stud, is here and going loopy at the prospect of having two Group-winning fillies coming his way. We have 30 or 40 mares for Al Shaqab, so horses of this quality joining the broodmare band is very exciting.”