By Mikhil Bhat/Paris
HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Djainka Des Forges will be looking for a double in the Qatar Arabian World Cup at the Longchamp Racecourse today.
The Group 1 race for 4-year-old plus Purebred Arabians has a total prize purse of a million euros and will be run over 2000m.
To be ridden by Harry Bentley, the Julian Smart charge will be up against a very determined Sir Bani Yas who will be racing in the colours of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
Sir Bani Yas, which is being trained by Elizabeth Bernard after her trainer husband Jean-Francois passed away in May this year, had won the first leg of the first Qatar Arabian Triple Crown in Goodwood. The son of Amer had left behind Prada T and Mister Ginoux in the inaugural Qatar International Stakes in Sussex.
The Qatar Arabian Triple Crown was introduced earlier this year and features a bonus of a million dollars for the winner of the three of the world’s most prestigious Arabian races – Qatar International Stakes, today’s Qatar Arabian World Cup and HH The Emir’s Sword (February 2016). The ride of French jockey Jean-Bernard Eyquem, who won the Qatar Total Arabian Trophy for Mares yesterday with Royal Cavalry of Oman’s Sylvine Al Maury, will start from gate 1.
Thomas Fourcy has entered two horses in the 1 million euro race for Al Shaqab Racing -- Al Mouwaffak and Al Mourtajez.
Al Mourtajez, before he was struck by a not-so-good run, had won six successive Group level races, while Al Mouwaffak, who had won last year’s Qatar Total Arabian Trophy for Colts (Gr1 PA) at Saint Cloud, had won a Group 2 PA in Toulouse in April this year, before he finished fifth in the Qatar Derby at Chantilly.
The colours of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani will also be carried by Gazwan, who was third in the Qatar Purebred Arabian Derby for 4 year olds (Gr 1 PA) and a remarkable winner of a Group 1 in Great Britain.
Trainer Alban de Mieulle will be running three horses in the race for HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani -- Kalino, Majeed and TM Thunder Struck.
Kalino, to be ridden by Thierry Jarnet, will start from gate 8, while Majeed and TM Thunder Struck will start from 12th and 18th gate respectively.
Speaking to Gulf Times after Friday’s draw, de Mieulle had said, “I believe that the draw is not a big factor in the races. Yes, if you start on the inside, you have an advantage but if you start slow while you are inside, you could hit traffic. So the way I look at it, it works both ways.”
The Frenchman added that he was most hopeful of the grey son of Majd Al Arab, TM Thunder Struck. “He did well last time too and in the preparation for this weekend, two weeks ago, he lost just by a neck against a good horse. He can do something nice on Sunday.”
File picture of Djainka Des Forges (18)
