As part of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (QREC) strategy to enhance Qatar’s presence at the world’s top racing events, the QREC-sponsored Qatar Prix Jean Prat will be run at Deauville, France, today.
The 2020 renewal of the Group 1 race, reserved for three-year-olds over a seven-furlong trip, will be the feature event of the QREC-sponsored bumper nine-race card, which includes another group event and three listed races. The day will kick off at 2:25pm and round off with the last race at 7:10pm (Doha time).
The Qatar Prix Jean Prat will start at 5:25pm. Eleven group and listed winners have been declared in the event and all of them have proved themselves over this trip.
Al Shaqab Racing will be represented by the group winner and placed Wooded. The son of Wootton Bassett will be coming off a well-earned Group 3 victory, which was his first black-type success when he landed the Prix Texanita seeing off his nearest rival by three-and-a-half lengths at Chantilly in May. The extra furlong at Deauville should not be a concern for the bay colt as four of his five career-starts have been over seven furlongs and he has not finished outside of the top three in any of them. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, Wooded will be taken to enhance his strike rate to three and gain his first Group 1 success for the silver and maroon colours. He will be partnered by Christophe Soumillon.
Andre Fabre shares the title of the leading trainer of the Prix Jean Prat with Francois Mathet and Francois Boutin with five wins each. The master French trainer will be looking for his sixth success and holding the top spot with two group winners. Alson won a Group 1 last October in his penultimate start and finished third in another Group 1 last month. He will have Pierre-Charles Boudot astride. Tropbeau, the only filly among the boys, had finished fourth in a Group 1 last month following a Group 3 win in May. She will be ridden by Mickael Barzalona.
Charlie Appleby will have two runners. Pinatubo boasts an excellent strike rate with six wins in eight starts, including two Group 1s and a Group 2, and will have William Buick in the saddle today. Well Of Wisdom, who won a handicap last month, will be ridden by James Doyle.
Aidan O’Brien will be fielding two runners. At group level, Lope Y Fernandez tasted success in a Group 3 last August, but finished 11th of 16 in a Group 1 last month. He will be ridden by Ioritz Mendizabal. Arizona, who will be steered by Ryan Moore, has a Group 2 win under his belt from June last year, but was 11th in a Group 1 last month.
James Crowley will partner Roger Varian-trained Molatham, who won a Gr3 last month in his latest start.
Frederic Rossi-trained Group and listed winner Kenway will line up under Theo Bachelot.
Ralph Beckett-trained Kinross, who finished runner up twice at Group 1 level, both behind Qatar Racing’s Kameko, will be helmed by Harry Bentley.
Andrea Atzeni will be in the saddle for Malotru, who will be seeking his first group success for his trainer Marco Botti.
In addition, the nine-race card will feature another group race and three listed runs. The Group 3 Qatar Prix de Ris-Orangis for three-year-olds and older horses over six furlongs will have nine runners and will start at 6pm Doha time. The Listed Qatar Prix Kistena will be reserved for three-year-olds over six furlongs with eight runners declared and will start at 3:35pm Doha time. The Listed Qatar Prix Amandine will be for three-year-olds over seven furlongs with 12 runners and will start at 4:50pm Doha time. The Listed Qatar Prix De La Calonne - Fonds Europeen De L’elevage will be for four-year-olds and older over a mile with eight runners and will start at 6:35pm Doha time.
The meeting will kick off at 2:25pm (Doha time) with the Qatar Prix des Yearlings for two-year-olds over six furlongs. Seven runners have been declared in the Class 2 race, including Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari’s Saqr. The son of Dutch Art will be taken by trainer Fabrice Chappet and jockey Christophe Soumillon to stay unbeaten following his successful debut last month.
Sheail al-Kuwari’s Hadi De Carrere wins Group 3 in France
Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari’s Hadi De Carrere won the Prix Tidjani, a Group 3 for three-year-old Purebred Arabians, at La Teste de Buch, France, yesterday.
The 1900m race is a pointer towards the season finale — the Group 1 PA Qatar Arabian Trophée des Poulains in October at Saint-Cloud — and Hadi De Carrere won it by a margin of four and a half lengths.
Hidalgo Du Croate set off in the lead with Thomas Fourcy-trained Hadi De Carrere in second, followed by Al Shaqab Racing’s homebred Alhafar and Ecuries Royales D’oman’s Muntasir closing the rear.
The order remained the same until the end of the final turn. Hadi De Carrere was caught slightly off balance when Muntasir kicked for home, but once HADI DE CARRERE found his stride under Julien Auge and fought back to take the lead, showing nice acceleration inside the final 200m to put plenty of distance between him and his rivals.
Alhafar finished in second for Al Shaqab and trainer Mme JF Bernard. He was ridden by Jean-Bernard Eyquem. Muntasir was a further short head in third under Mickael Forest for trainer F Sanchez. The pacesetter Hidalgo Du Croate weakened in the straight, finishing seven lengths back.
“Sir Monlau, who was a non-runner, is a top class colt, and Hadi De Carrere, though not quite his class, is not far off. He’s won well here to prove that. He should continue to improve. I’m delighted with his behaviour and he has a nice future ahead of him. We will look at the Gr1 at Deauville and then Saint-Cloud,” Fourcy commented after the race.
Only four, of the six expected runners started in this race reserved for colts, with His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani’s homebred Sir Monlau and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s homebred Fara’aj declared non-runners.
Hadi De Carrere is by Nieshan out of the Dormane mare Viki De Carrere. He is the first winner for his dam.
Julien Auge (left) rides Hadi De Carrere to Prix Tidjani victory at La Teste de Buch in France yesterday. (Robert Polin)
