Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Mourtajez owns the field in Chantilly

The Al Shaqab Racing-owned Al Mourtajez demolished the opposition once again in the Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon (Gr1 PA) at Chantilly yesterday.Always in front, the Thomas Fourcy-trained horse was asked by jockey Julien Auge to pick up speed with only a furlong to go, and within only a few strides, he created a seven-length gap. Fourcy later said, “I’m not sure he has three or four gears more than the others but he is above the norm. I am not the right person to say who could beat him in the Qatar Arabian World Cup. But the way he is running at the moment, I don’t see how he can be beaten, unless the race has no pace like last year. The horse is a lot more relaxed this year, as he had a tendency to be very keen and use up a lot of gas during the race. Last year, he was ill, and we have looked after him this year, so that we don’t make the same mistakes. He is fit and in form, and we just need to keep him there. He has a green light.”Two Umm Qarn-owned horses — Majeed and TM Thunder Struck — complete the podium.Trainer Alban de Mieulle said, “The winner is unbeatable. He is an exceptional horse. Both my horses don’t have his class. Majeed is an honest horse and did what he could. TM Thunder Struck pulled a little but I think Chantilly’s 2,000m track, is too long for him. I don’t think they will run the Qatar Arabian World Cup, in which they won’t have a first chance. But we have to be glad to see a horse like Al Mourtajez show such performances. He gives an excellent publicity to Arabian races.”Just Glamorous wins Petit CouvertThe Arc Trials day at Chantilly opened with Robert and Nina Bailey-owned Just Glamorous winning the Qatar Prix du Petit Couvert (Gr3), a race for sprinters.Ronald Harris-trained Just Glamorous finished ahead of Marsha and Goldream.Japanese Makahiki takes Qatar Prix NielThe first preparatory race to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is the Qatar Prix Niel (Gr2) and it was taken home by the Japanese horse Makahiki.The lot queued up along the rail with Midterm in the lead, followed by Al Shaqab Racing’s Doha Dream and the eventual winner.On to the home straight, Makahiki’s jockey Christophe Lemaire took a little bit of time before asking his partner to accelerate. But once he did, Yasuo Tomomichi’s ward did the job and took the first place at the very end.Talking about Doha Dream’s third place finish, Al Shaqab Racing’s representative in France, Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, said, “Doha Dream runs very well. He is improving. It is nice to have a very regular horse like him. He could run the Qatar Prix Chaudenay or the Prix du Conseil de Paris. He is not entered in the Arc. We will check with his trainer and the team what we will do next.”Left Hand fights for Prix VermeilleQatar Prix Vermeille (Gr1) was won by three-year-old Left Hand. After travelling in the middle of the lot, the Wertheimer & Frère-owned filly managed to come back up on the outside.She fought with her two closest rivals — Endless Time and The Juliet Rose — and eventually managed to beat them for the top spot.Vadamos wins Moulin de LongchampThe Haras de Saint Pair-bred and -owned colt, Vadamos, raced to a classy win in the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Gr1).After following Zarak, who took the lead at first, Vadamos switched places with him in the midway through the race. In the final phase, he easily accelerated and was only pushed forward by his rivals.Markus Munch’s filly Spectre finished second, just ahead of Al Shaqab Racing’s colt Zelzal.Zelzal’s trainer Jean-Claude Rouget said, “He isn’t as happy on this ground. Maybe on faster ground, he would have been second, but the winner was untouchable. Zelzal has already won a Group 1 this year (the Prix Jean Prat). If he stays in training at 4, he won’t run again this year.”Silverwave takes easy Qatar Prix Foy victoryHspirit representative Silverwave won the Qatar Prix Foy (Gr2) with ease. The lot travelled in a line led by the German Ito. In the finale phase, Silverwave accelerated well when his jockey Maxime Guyon asked him to and won by a length.Ito, who was supplemented to participate in this race, took the second place in front of Elliptique.Vazirabad wins Qatar Prix GladiateurAga Khan-owned Vazirabad did not disappoint in the Qatar Prix Gladiateur (Gr3). Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, he travelled at the back of the field.Vazirabad was challenged by Nahual but the Alain de Royer Dupré-trained gelding took the advantage at the very end.Both horses left the rest of the lot a few lengths behind, with Settler’s Son finishing third almost four lengths further back.