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Al Shaqab Racing’s Treve, Ectot and Ruler Of The World will carry Qatar’s hopes in the 93rd edition of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at the Longchamp racecurse in Paris today. The Euros five million contest has attracted 20 of the world’s best Thoroughbred’s matching strides with each for the show |
Last year’s winner, Treve bids of becoming the first horse since Alleged in 1977-78 to win successive Arc’s. Trainer Criquette Head-Maarek will hope her bold decision to replace Italian legend Frankie Dettori on Treve will be vindicated today. Treve failed to win on her two starts under Dettori this season and Head-Maarek felt veteran French jockey Thierry Jarnet had a better understanding with the filly. In the Arc Trial race, Qatar Prix Vermeille, Treve with Jarnet in the saddle, failed to impress. But her connections are confident that Treve is capable of resuming her winning ways.
Trainer Criquette had warned everyone that the Vermeille is not the Arc, where she was slightly short of fitness. Whatever she does, she will come on for that run. “We are very pleased with the draw. We are delighted for all our three horses. It is better to be drawn lower than too high. All three of them in pretty good shape.
“We are looking forward to it and hopefully it will be a massive day for Al Shaqab. We have every chance of retaining the title but it is going to be a very hot race. We have Taghrooda and the Japanese horses are top class. It is going to be a great race. It is incredibly spoiling to have three runners coming into the race. All of them are with a good chance and that’s the main thing,” Al Shaqab Racing Consultant Harry Herbert told the Gulf Times.
Jockey Jarnet believes that he can get her back to her best. “I don’t know if Treve is especially difficult, but I know her by heart and have been around her since her debut. Maybe there is a bit more feeling that passes between horse and rider. There are a lot of different things that can happen in a race. But she remains a filly with a lot of quality and you have to try and extract the best from her.”
Elie Lellouche trained Ectot made his return from five months off the track in the Qatar Prix Niel, and the speed with which he went up through the gears that day marked him out as a colt right out of the top drawer. Ectot will need to take another significant step forward if he is to emerge victorious in Europe’s most prestigious race. Jockey Gregory Benoist will steer the fortunes of Ectot.
The other Al Shaqab contender, Ruler Of The World made a winning return in the Qatar Prix Foy with record timing of two minutes 26:93 seconds. Quickly to the front under Frankie Dettori, sporting the colours of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, Ruler of the World held off Group winners Flintshire and Spiritjim in the straight. The manner of this victory indicates the form that he is in, Ruler Of The World will have a bold show in this premier event. Gold Ship will spearhead the Japanese challenge in the elusive Arc that has denied them success in the recent past. Having filled the runner-up spot four times, that will be regarded as a bare minimum for this year’s Japanese raiders, but while Just A Way and Harp Star have bags of speed, stamina could be an issue with both horses, while the capable Gold Ship is not the most reliable. They have had better chances in the past.
Avenir Certain seems to have as much raw talent as any other runner, and is entitled to be right there if she sees out this extra distance. Jockey Chrostophe Lemaire has been booked to ride this unbeaten filly, who is a live threat. On the same card HE Sheikh Joaan’s The Wow Signal looks the stand-out two-year-old colt in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère and can get the measure of Gleneagles to start Dettori’s day off on the right foot. Olympic Glory looks outstanding in the Qatar Prix de la Foret and could make this a glorious day for Al Shaqab Racing.
It’s the stuff of dreams for every owner, trainer and jockey, ready to take up the ultimate challenge after a year, sometimes a lifetime of effort and hard work. The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is an exacting and unforgiving test where only excellence prevails. This international event rounds out a race season that revealed prime potential talent and crowns the best of the best. To take the laurels, horse and rider have just a mile and a half and two minutes of pure adrenaline to race into legendary.