Al Shaqab Racing’s Jalela and Abdullah bin Fahad al-Attiyah’s HM Jalfane registered black-type victories in Toulouse yesterday.
While Jalela demolished the opposition in the Prix Nevada II, a Group 3 race for Purebred Arabian fillies, HM Jalfane topped Prix Cheri Bibi (Group 3 PA) in thrilling fashion.
In the first race of the card yesterday, quickly up to the lead, Jalela settled in behind the leader, Guiness D’vialettes, by jockey Jerome Cabre in the mile race on the turf track which read 3.3 (good to soft) on the going-stick.
Moving up to join the leader coming out of the final turn, Jalela quickly asserted her superiority, going six lengths off her rivals by the 200m post. The official winning distance was five and a half lengths, with Guiness D’vialettes holding on to second place her trainer Mrs JF. Bernard with Antoine Werle in the saddle.
HM Al Mamika finished a further half-length behind in third under Julien Auge. Thomas Fourcy was the trainer of both the winner and the third placed filly.
Jalela is from the first crop of Al Shaqab Purebred Arabian sire Mister Ginoux. She debuted in the Group 3 PA Prix Razzia III in July for second place before a fourth place in the Group 2 PA French Arabian Breeders’ Challenge Pouliches. On her previous run, in the Gr 1 PA Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches on October 2 at Saint-Cloud, she finished a good second behind Al Shaqab Racing’s Alawsj. Yesterday, she finally earned her first Group victory in dominant fashion. She is out of the Mahabb mare, Nefertarie, who is from the direct family of the foundation French Purebred Arabian mare Mandore.
Later, the finish of the Prix Cheri Bibi (Group 3 PA) was hotly contested. With just 400m to the final post, the seven runners were still all together making it nearly impossible to call the winner. In the final strides, HM Jalfane came with a late run, with Julien Augé in the saddle, to snatch victory by a quarter of a length.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Faleh al-Thani’s homebred A’them Bahar finished runner-up for trainer Mrs F Bernard and jockey Ioritz Mendizabal. Al Shaqab Racing’s homebred Alhafar came in third by further one-and-a-quarter lengths for the same trainer of the runner-up and jockey Jean-Bernard Eyquem.
Winning trainer Fourcy said, “He gave me a scare on his debut as he sat in last position for a long time. He gave me a bit of a scare today too despite having a better position in running. At one point in the straight, I thought he was going to be last, but when Julien Augé asked him, he responded well like a good horse. In the future, he will be better over 2,000m. It’s a good result for his new owner.”
Bred by Hassan Mousli and Nada Mousalli, HM Jalfane is a son of Dahess and out of Al Musck. Flamme De Syrah, the second dam, produced two Group winners, Al Jalfane, winner of three Al Maktoum Challenges (Group 1 PA), and Jawad Al Kheir, winner of the Jumeyrah International Stakes (Group 2 PA).
Julien Auge (left) rides Abdullah bin Fahad al-Attiyah’s HM Jalfane to victory in the Prix Cheri Bibi (Group 3 PA) in Toulouse yesterday. PICTURE: Robert Polin
