And as Umm Qarn’s French trainer unfolded the draw number, he smiled and looked at Smart, seated in the front row, and laughed.
Yazeed trainer Alban de Mieulle speaks to draw ceremony host Gina Harding after he picked gate 12 for his ward in HH The Emir's Sword (Gr1 PA) at the draw ceremony yesterday.
The Qatar Derby winner, and arguably the favourite for the mile and a half Arabian feature, was going to start right next door, from stall 12.
The London-born trainer then picked gate 13 for Ebraz, the 2017 champion who is supposed to fight Yazeed for the win, in a 15-strong field. He shook his head; perhaps too close for comfort. “Sandwiched (between Yazeed and Oman’s Zaqur) just perfect,” Smart said with a laugh.
He did, however, pick gate 5 for the 2016 champion Gazwan, also owned by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani like Ebraz. “Yazeed is probably the best Arabian horse in the world right now,” Smart added. “Gazwan is in sensational form, but he generally needs a prep race, which he hasn’t got. And Ebraz is in good form too.”
While over a mile and a half in an Arabian race, draw may not play much of a factor, but a good start matters, and with the contenders bunched up together at the start of the race could go either way.
“All I hope is that everyone gets a clear race, no traffic problems,” De Mieulle said. “It will be a fast pace, and I know that already. A lot depends on how Ba’sil goes. If he jumps well and takes the lead, Ebraz will follow. But then the jockeys will do what they have to do.”
Frenchman Thomas Fourcy, who had won the race with Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Mourtajez in 2015, has come with Almaa, winner of the French Arabian Breeders’ Challenge Classic (Gr2 PA) in Toulouse. One of only two fillies in the race, the other being another Al Shaqab entry, Al Dawoodea, Almaa will start from Gate 2, with Smart’s Shabih Alreeh having the inside line from Gate 1.
“Yazeed, Ebraz and Gazwan are really good horses. Almaa is good, she is easy to ride in the race, but I am expecting her to finish four-five,” Fourcy said.
Al Dawoodea, to be partnered with Qatari jockey Faleh Bughanaim, will start from Gate 9, with Hadi Nasser al-Ramzani-trained duo Al Majh’hoor and AJS Al Rayyan for company from gates 10 and eight respectively.
Champion Trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali is hopeful with Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Spaghetti, winner of 2016 HH The Emir’s Silver Sword who starts from gate 4, with Omani contender Chaddad next door in 3.
While there are a couple of contenders who will have all the focus in the Arabian feature, HH The Emir’s Trophy, the million dollar Thoroughbred feature seems to be very open with some top quality international runners.
Qatar Derby winner Mac Mahon, trained in Italy by Alduino Botti, returns and will start from gate 2, with Deborah Mountain-trained Quelindo, former Hungarian horse of the year, as neighbour in gate 1, and Umm Qarn’s Duke of Dundee in 3.
Top-rated Chemical Charge, running for UK handler Ralph Beckett, starts from gate 4, with one of the two mares, al-Ramzani-trained Zman Awal in 5.
Francois Rohaut’s Best Fouad starts from 7 with Sheikh Mohamed’s Otwo and UK filly Elbereth in 6 and 8 respectively. The Blue Eye, Ghazali’s 2016 Trophy topper, starts from gate 9.
Al Shahania Stud’s US runner Money Multiplier, trained by Chad Brown and to be ridden by star jockey Frankie Dettori, drew gate 11, while another Shahania horse, Barwod, the Trial topper, drew 13. Jim Bolger’s first runner in Qatar, Qatari Hunter will start from 15, with Noor Al Hawa, the 2017 runner up, who is trained by Germany’s Andreas Wohler, starting wide in 16.
“It is a strong field with international runners. It is a stronger race. But we are hoping he will improve. I won’t say that he will win but he should run well. He stayed on very well in both the Italian and the Qatar derbies and I don’t see a mile and a half as a problem for him,” said Takashi Kodama, representative for Mac Mahon’s owner, Takaya Shimakawa.
Ghazali was looking forward to the Thoroughbred race. “It should be a tough race with good quality international horses in the field. But I do hope to do something nice for Qatari horses (with The Blue Eye). I hope when we meet next, I am the winner,” he said.
Want to make a name in Thoroughbred racing, says QREC GM
Doha: HH The Emir’s Trophy (Gr1), the million dollar Thoroughbred feature for this weekend’s HH The Emir’s Sword Racing Festival, does not really have a clear favourite, and that makes Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club general manager Nasser Sherida al-Kaabi a very happy man. “It makes for a really exciting race,” he told Gulf Times after the draw ceremony yesterday.
“This event is the most prestigious event in Qatar. This year’s field is of a higher quality than ever before and with no clear favourite, the connections, the trainers are worried about how the race will go down. Some of the best jockeys have been entered and I think it will be a very difficult race. I hope the best horse wins.”
The Qatar Derby winner Mac Mahon, trained in Italy by Alduino Botti for Japanese owner Takaya Shimakawa, is also back for a crack at the Thoroughbred feature. “We signed an agreement with Japan and in the coming years we hope to see some Japanese contenders here in Doha. A Japanese owner has already won the Derby and has entered in the Thoroughbred race. For us, making a connection with Asia, Europe and America is very important,” al-Kaabi said.
Outlining the club’s ambition, he said, “Qatar is right in the centre of things, and we are working towards making it a global racing hub. This year, everyone will see that Qatar is hosting really high quality Thoroughbred racing.” It would be the next logical step for Qatar and QREC, al-Kaabi said, having made a name in Arabian racing across the world. In fact, the likes of Umm Qarn’s Tayf and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Gazwan have won two of the biggest Arabian races in the world – Qatar International Stakes at Goodwood and Qatar Arabian World Cup in Chantilly – respectively. For the Arabian feature, the spotlight is on Umm Qarn’s Yazeed and Sheikh Mohamed’s Ebraz and Gazwan. “Now in Qatar, we are at the top level as far as the Arabians are concerned. It is very difficult to compete with the Qatari horses. We go to Europe, America, we have done well. Now that we have international exposure with the Arabians, we now want to step forward to make a name in Thoroughbred racing too.”