Sport
Abbes lands Doha Cup for Wathnan Racing in France
Al Rayyan Cup was won by Extra Time for trainer David Morrison and jockey Emilien Revolte
August 09, 2023 | 12:11 AM
Wathnan Racing-owned Abbes won the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) sponsored Doha Cup, while Extra Time claimed the Al Rayyan Cup in Deauville, France, on Tuesday.Both prestigious races are Group 1 for Purebred Arabians and were run over 2,000m. While the Doha Cup is for four-year-olds and older, the Al Rayyan Cup is for three-year-old and each of them is the best race of the summer in France for the relevant age category of the Purebred Arabian breed. Khalifa bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, QREC Board Member, awarded the trophies to winners.The Doha Cup was landed by the Abbes (TM Fred Texas x Raqiyah) for trainer Alban de Mieulle and jockey Mickael Barzalona. A half-length runner up to Soko (Nieshan) in the same contest in 2022 and putting his experience to good use, it was the Wathnan Racing owned six-year-old purebred Arabian Abbes who got his head in front to take the 2023 edition of the Group 1 (PA) Doha Cup.Now a five-time Group 1 (PA) winner, Abbes under the care of De Mieulle, the French bred Abbes returned to winning ways domestically in the Doha Cup, having chased home Ch’ezza (AF Albahar) in the Group 1 (PA) The President of the UAE Cup at ParisLongchamp in May.Held up in the five-runner contest under Mickael Barzalona and blinkered, Abbes travelled well while Edalbar (AF Albahar) set decent fractions at the head of affairs. Switched wide in the home straight, the grey six-year-old laid down a strong challenge to get up close home and reverse the form with the Abdullah bin Fahad al-Attiyah-owned and Francois Rohaut-trained Ch’ezza, who was ridden by Christophe Soumillon, by a half a length.Hadi De Carrere (Nieshan) ran well to take third. The Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari-owned and Thomas Fourcy-trained Hadi De Carrere (Nieshan) ran well, on his first outing since January this year, to take third as he was further two lengths under Olivier Peslier.The winning trainer Alban de Mieulle announced after the race that, given the fact that Abbes does not like soft ground, the star Purebred Arabian will sidestep the autumn season in France and Qatar Arabian World Cup (Group 1 PA) in order to focus on the big races in Qatar, where he has so far been imperial.Bred by Haras de Victot, Abbes is by stallion Haras des Thouras’ triple Group 1 winning stallion TM Fred Texas (Burning Sand). His dam Raqiyah (Amer) is a four-time Group One winner in France.Al Rayyan Cup was won by the Guy Neivens owned and bred Extra Time (Valiant Boy x Sand Witchh) for trainer David Morrison and jockey Emilien Revolte.Extra Time proved a clear-cut winner at the expense of AJS Lattam and Kanti de Bozouls. Trained at La Teste, he began his career with a second place "on home turf” in a Group 3 PA race. It was a grand finish, as AJS Lattam is trained in Qatar by Mohamed Hamad al-Attiyah, whereas Kanti de Bozouls is handled by Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte at Mont-de-Marsan.Morisson, the trainer of Extra Time, said: "He is still very immature, and he was up against more seasoned horses than him. However, he’s simply a good horse. We will either head the Breeders’ Cup at Toulouse at the beginning of September or go directly to the Group 1 PA race at Saint-Cloud on the Friday [the eve] of the weekend of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. This is a great victory for his owner- breeder Guy Neivens.”Mohamed Hamad al-Attiyah, the trainer of AJS Lattam, explained: "He had won twice in good style in Qatar. We then took him to England where I am based in the summer. And he ran well there, in a prep race over 1,700m, which was of a modest level. AJS Lattam therefore made the trip to Deauville with several question marks hanging over him, and he answered all of those positively. He‘s a progressive horse and he has not shown the full extent of his talent. The autumnal climate is uncertain at Saint-Cloud. The idea is rather to return to Qatar and give him a break before gearing him to the top domestic prizes which are run on good ground.”
August 09, 2023 | 12:11 AM