Tayf edges out Ebraz for Qatar International Stakes victory

It was a Qatari one-two at Goodwood yesterday afternoon as Tayf fought hard to just edge out Ebraz by a nose on the line in the Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA).Owned by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani and trained by Alban de Mieulle, Tayf had been beaten by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Ebraz when they last met in the HH The Emir’s Sword in Doha in February. In a close finish which required a photo to separate the pair, it was Tayf who came out on top.The win means that Tayf has won the first leg of the Doha Triple Crown. The second and third stages of the Triple Crown are the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Gr1PA), to be run at Chantilly in October, and the HH The Emir’s Sword (Gr1PA) to be run in Doha in February 2018.  This series links together three of the most prestigious international racing events and also carries a $1,000,000 bonus to any horse, who can win all three stages.Whilst both Tayf and Ebraz are trained in France in the summer months, this was certainly the worst weather and underfoot conditions either horse had faced in their careers.Speaking after the race De Mieulle said, “Both horses are good, and I know Tayf is a nice horse and Olivier Peslier rode him very well today. We did not know if he would handle the ground. He’s done very well and I am pleased with him.”Tayf had not been seen out since the Doha race, while Ebraz had the benefit of a European run, winning a Group 3 in France last month.De Mieulle continued: “Yes, we don’t want to push him too much because the season is long, coming from Qatar to Europe, so we will wait now and go straight to Chantilly for the Qatar World Cup.” Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) Racing Operations executive Gemma Cobb said, “That was a really exciting finish with two of the world’s best Arabian horses fighting it out to the line in desperate conditions. We congratulate both sets of connections and also those of Prada T who has now been placed in this race three times.“Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club have been sponsoring Arabian racing in the UK since 2009 and inaugurated this race in 2015, as the first leg of the Doha Triple Crown Series. It is an honour to play host to such a high-profile race and we hope that maybe this years’ winner could be the first to make history by going on to win the Triple Crown and claim the bonus too.”GLAD WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF QATARI COMPANIES, SAYS QREC CHAIRMANQatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) chairman Issa bin Mohamed al-Mohannadi expressed his satisfaction with the quality of races at the Qatar Goodwood Festival on the first two days of the event.“This year and for the first time, Qatari companies are participating in the Festival to show the roles they fulfil in their respective fields of business,” he said.“This year we are joined by Qatar Airways, as well as Aspire Katara Hospitality. Qatar Airways has a strong presence here through its stand where a real model of its first-class seat is on display. We are delighted with such participation and we invite Qatari companies of international character to be with us in the coming events, especially as we all work to raise the name of Qatar high.“In a festival like the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the benefits for the participating companies are large especially with the facilities provided by the QREC. As we are promoting the name of Qatar globally, the participation of companies with us certainly contributes to this end.”“The benefits of the Qatar Goodwood Festival are not limited to promoting the name of Qatar internationally, but also emphasizing Qatar’s keenness to maintain its historical heritage in terms of purebred Arabian horses. It was therefore important for us to benefit from this Festival by running the first leg of the Doha Triple Crown for purebred Arabian horses.”Close co-operation between Qatar and UK in various fields: Qatar’s ambassadorQatar’s ambassador to the United Kingdom Yousef bin Ali al-Khater said that the Qatar Goodwood Festival has become a hallmark in horseracing in the United Kingdom. “The Festival is now a destination for horse fans and lovers in general especially with the strong presence of the best horses and the desire of owners and trainers to win the Festival’s prizes,” he said on the second day of the Festival.“The Festival adds a positive effect to the Qatari-English relations in sport.“Qatar is sponsoring not only the Qatar Goodwood Festival, but also another prestigious international racing events such as the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France. Qatar also participates in other significant racing events in England such as Royal Ascot and Newbury.  Qatar’s horses have realised impressive results in the world of racing and we look forward to achieving the best at all times, especially as success in results when combined with success in sponsoring events such as the Qatar Goodwood Festival has a great positive impact and contributes to achieving our goals.”