Jockey Oliver Peslier rides Damis to an exciting win in the President of UAE Cup at the Saint Cloud race course in Paris on Sunday
Sports Reporter/Doha
Umm Qarn tasted their third success on the European circuit this year when Alban de Mieulle trained Damis thwarted the spirited effort of another Qatari challenger Areej to win the President of UAE Cup at the Saint Cloud race course in Paris on Sunday. Incidentally the top four places went to Qatar bred horses as Raihanand Asraa Min Albarq completed the frame in the Euros 50,000 Group I Pure Arabian contest.
Earlier Lancelot and Tabarak had hoisted the winning flag sporting the colours of HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani owned Umm Qarn. Tabarak had won the Derby Des Pur Sang for four-year-old Pure Arabians at the Chantilly, while Lancelot came good in the Grand Prix De Lyon earlier this month.
The Amer progeny Damis came from behind, accompanied by last season’s Qatar Arabian World Cup winner Areej. A fierce battle ensued between the two but it was Damis who held on gamely to record his eighth career success but his first on French soil in this race. Damis was ridden to victory by Oliver Peslier while Darren Williams was astride the second placed Areej.
Qatar has once again proved in the international arena that they have the best bred Pure Arabians by virtue of clinching the top four places in this coveted event.