Al Shaqab Racing-owned Mekhtaal proved to be the strongest in the Prix d’Ispahan (Gr1) at Chantilly yesterday. The win was four-year-old’s first in Group 1.
After cantering on the outside of Robin Of Navan, in the lead, he attacked him in the middle of the home straight.
Under Gregory Benoist, Mekhtaal kept accelerating and did not let go in order to take the best out of Robin Of Navan, second, half a length behind.
“He has matured this year. We respected him at three years, knowing that he would be better this year. He had already done an excellent seasonal debut,” Mekhtaal trainer Jean-Claude Rouget said.
“I really liked the way he performed today and his turn of foot 150m from the post. He could go to Royal Ascot, for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, and then in the autumn, run the Champion Stakes, in England and Ireland. He beat a real lot of Group horses today, it is really good.”
Mekhtaal was second in the Prix d’Harcourt (Gr2) on his return at 4yos and winner of the Prix Hocquart (Gr3) in 2016.