Meyer rides Kadira Du Croate to Qatar Prix Massoud glory

The Qatar Prix Massoud, the first of the races sponsored by the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) outside Qatar in 2023, was held at Bordeaux Le Bouscat on Sunday. Run over 1,400m, it is also the first race for three-year-old newcomer Purebred Arabians of the year in France. It offers a valuable opportunity for a display of a new generation of Purebred Arabian racehorses and potential champions. Slowly out of the gates before quickly gathering in the field, the Eliane Davy-Boudet-owned Kadira Du Croate showed an impressive turn of foot to get her racing career off to the perfect start and win the 2023 renewal of the Qatar Prix Massoud.
Trained by Eric Dell’Ova and ridden by Marlene Meyer, the diminutive filly faced up ten rivals. Slowly away, but soon on terms, Kadira Du Croate travelled towards the back of the peloton and benefited of a gap on the rail on the turn into the straight. Sliding through to join the leaders, the grey Kadira Du Croate then produced an impressive turn of foot to go on to score the Qatar Prix Massoud by two and a half lengths. The battle for minor honours was fierce though with such a tiny margin between the second and the third placed. HH Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalfia al-Thani’s homebred Ghassann II was the runner-up under jockey Clement Merille for trainer Didier Guillemin. The E. Pouey and L. Rouzand-owned and C. Courtade-trained Schalimar D’Ibos (Al Tair) was a further neck back in third under jockey Mickael Forest.
Karida Du Croate was bred by Jacques-Francois Boudet, who also bred Image Du Croate (Munjiz), winner of the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar Arabian Trophy Des Pouliches in 2021. Kadira Du Croate is out of Emeraude Du Croate (Topaze Du Croate), a sister to Farida Du Croate (Munjiz), who won the Prix Massoud in 2018 also in the colours of Eliane Davy-Boudet.