By Chris Hoover/Doha

 

The stage is set for the climax of the Qatar International Equestrian Festival, held under the patronage of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club today.

A total of QR 4.6mn is on offer to the winners of the seven races that are scheduled for the day. Top class Pure Arabians and Thoroughbreds will be seen in action. Kahalya Classic winner TM Fred Texas, HH The Heir Apparent Sword winner Al Mujahaz and the formidable Tabarak are part of the line-up in the QR2mn HH the Emir’s Sword race. HH The Emir’s Trophy for Thoroughbreds, HH The Emir’s Trophy for local bred Pure Arabians are the other two races which have attracted top horses. Alban de Mieulle trained Tabarak (Nizam-Altese D’Arocco) looks invincible in HH  Emir Sword race on the basis of the Umm Qarn champions outstanding record and splendid win in his lead-up race. The Nizam progeny has won eight of his nine starts and been unbeaten this season. Though Tabarak will be tackling the mile and a half trip for the first time, he has the class to have a big say at the finish. As such, it is hard to visualise Tabarak suffering any reverse today in this coveted race.

“Tabarak has a good chance to win, but the only problem is the 2,400m trip. It will be the first time that he will be going over this distance but we still feel that Tabarak has the class to win this race. We know that Al Shahania horses are doing very well as well as TM Fred Texas. This will be an interesting and exciting race,” Umm Qarn trainer de Mieulle told the Gulf Times.

The one runner who can really upset him is Sheikh Hamad bin Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani owned TM Fred Texas.

Considering the fact that he has been shining in the preparatory workouts, he should go close to the favourite.

Among the others in contention, Al Mujahaz, from trainer Jassim al-Ghazali’s stables, is the one to watch out. Al Mujahaz was a very impressive winner in HH The Heir Apparent Sword.  The son of Hafid Du Bac definitely showed striking acceleration and his spirited victory has made many believe that if there is any one in the field to upset Tabarak, it is Al Mujahaz.

Al Shahania Stud too have fielded five of their best horses and will be hoping for one of them to return a winner. Aziz, Mu’Azzaz, Rathowan, Maseh and Qatar Arabian World Cup winner Mkeefa are in the fray and go into the race with an opportunity to redeem the fortunes of Al Shahania Stud, who have failed to make a mark this season.

“I think Tabarak on this track is a very different horse than anywhere else. He likes the fast ground and the only time he was beaten was when one our horses got him last year in the International,” Al Shahania Stud trainer Julian Smart explained.“But Tabarak will be running the mile and half trip for the first time, whereas our horses have the potential to tackle this distance.”

Surprisingly, HH The Emir’s Trophy for local bred Pure Arabians, has attracted a small of field of eight runners. Umm Qarn have Raihan, while Al Shahania have gone in with Agshar, Iftekhar and the ever improving Assy. Injaaz Stud’s Ajab, Al Muntakhab and Yousef Bentaher’s Nasir Al Naif complete the field.Trainer Smart has pinned his hopes on Iftekhar and Assy in this QR 500,000 event.

Very Nice Name is easily one of the best Thoroughbreds to have graced the Qatari turf in recent times. The versatile son of Whipper has been an outstanding performer, having won all his four outings in Doha. The de Mieulle trained Very Nice Name, which is the pride of Umm Qarn Farms, will go into the HH The Emir’s Trophy, a Group I Thoroughbred International for three years old and over, as the favourite. It is because Very Nice Name towers over his contemporaries and the present lot of horses certainly don’t measure up to his calibre. His forte is the blinding acceleration and we could witness yet another sterling performance from this top class Thoroughbred.

The main threat to the dominance of Very Nice Name is likely to come from the French filly, Rjwa, who makes her debut in Qatar before her campaign in Dubai. The Sheikh Tamim bin Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani owned Rjwa (Muhtathir-Minallon) had finished a close fourth in the Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park before being brought to Doha.

Jockey Thierry Jarnet has been entrusted with the reins, but the Frenchman has a task on hand. With none having stretched Very Nice Name in his unbeaten run so far, it would be interesting to see how she can tackle the 2,400 metres trip as well as Very Nice Name in this prestigious race.