In the blue and white stars of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani, the four-year-old Purebred Arabian filly Artemis won her first Group race in the Prix Nevadour (Group 3 PA) at La Teste in France yesterday.
A winner at the age of three, she has already been placed three times at Group level, finishing second last time out in the Qatar Derby des Pur-Sang Arabe des 4 Ans (Group 1 PA).
A top-class field of 10 lined up in the 1,900m race for four-year-old fillies and Artemis, trained by Elisabeth Bernard, settled towards the rear of the racing pack under Olivier Peslier.
In the wide straight, the runners spread across the track with Min’ha, also in the colours of Sheikh Mohamed, prominent. Favourite Lady Princess sat ready to pounce, travelling strongly. Artemis did not have a clear passage and had to change her line several times in the long straight.
Eventually finding an opening with just 200m left to run, Artemis came to join Lady Princess and, with an exceptional turn of foot, flew home to win by one and a half lengths. Lady Princess, in the colours of Sheail bin Khalifa al-Kuwari came in second, with Al Shaqab Racing’s Meethag in third.
Artemis is out of Al Nasr mare Ocyrrhoe, a top-class race mare who won the Group 1 PA Qatar French Arabian Breeders’ Challenge (four-year-old fillies) in 2009 and was also trained by Bernard.

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