Sport
Big day for La Hoor and Very Nice Name
Big day for La Hoor and Very Nice Name
By Chris Hoover/Doha
HH Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani Trophy, a Group I race for local bred Pure Arabians, has attracted 15 top class contenders and is expected to be fiercely competitive. The QR500,000 event will get underway today at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club. |
Three contenders from Umm Qarn will be in the fray. Alban de Mieulle tra ined Fouladh, Raedah and Shakeemah will be pitched against the in-form La Haoor from the stables of Hassan Ali Hassan al-Matwi.
Al-Matwi’s La Hoor (Burning Sand-Pettra) has won all his three outings, including the Qatar Derby where he smashed the opposition with an emphatic victory. The Matwi trainee has been sparingly raced and it could be this event that could propel him into the limelight. He definitely has an edge over his rivals if he can repeat the same performance in the Derby. Maybe the day of reckoning has arrived for this talented colt.
Among the others in the fray, Al Shahania Stud have two contestants in Mekhbatt and Ifthekar, while Sheikh Hamad bin Mishal bin Hamad al-Thani owned Al Mujahez is another which can stretch the best.
“For the big race on Thursday we have to beat La Hoor, who has been improving with each run. Fouladh has been in tremendous form and in good condition and so are Raedah and Shakeemah. It is going to be a big challenge and we are upto it,” trainer Alban de Mieulle told the Gulf Times.
“Very Nice Name has proved to be a formidable competitor and we have pinned our hopes on him. There are 15 horses in the contest and if we do not have any traffic problems, Very Nice Name should win but we still have to have beat Amico Mio,” Mieulle added.
“There are so many good horses in the race and we hope we can get lucky. It is a tough race and the horses to beat would be La Hoor and Fouladh. Al Mujahez is also in good form and we will do our best and hope to win,” Al Mujahez trainer George Mikhalides said.
The Khor Al Adaid Cup, a Group III race for Thoroughbreds has 15 horses in the fray. Sporting the colours of Umm Qarn, Very Nice Name will go into the race as the overwhelming favourite. Alban de Mieulle saddled Very Nice Name comes into the reckoning after his victory in the Derby in December. He has been well tuned with this event in mind.
The Umm Qarn champion has been sparingly raced and each step of his towards the pinnacle of horse-racing in Qatar has been well planned. Yousef Bentaher trained Amico Mio and Jassim al-Ghazali trained Dubawi King are capable of posing a serious threat to Very Nice Name.
Apart from the racing action, the spectators will have the opportunity to win fabulous prizes after each race and also take part in a raffle draw. The winner of this draw could drive away a car, which is on offer to the winner.