Al Shaqab Racing’s Shalaa clinched the Group II Arqana July Stakes at Newmarket, Great-Britain, yesterday. Shalaa kept aside the challenge of Steady Pace to record his second career victory. Sporting the famous silks of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, Shalaa had won the Winner App Ebf Stallions Maiden Stakes at the same venue.
Trainer John Gosden said : “I’d like to see him relax a bit more but that will come with racing.” John Gosden’s pupil accelerated well to hold off the co-favourite of the race, Steady Pace and impose himself despite having to drift accross the track. Shalaa’s jockey Robert Havlin told: “Before he ran we thought he could be a Coventry horse. He put it all together today. It was just a matter of pressing the button, when he started quickening he started idling. He had a bit left in the tank.” Al Shaqab Racing’s main hope, Eltezam, and favourite of this year’s edition, finishes fourth behind Elronaq.
