Al Shaqab Racing’s Lucky Lycra ended her career in a blaze of glory by securing a well-deserved group success in the Grosser Preis der Mehl-Mulhens-Stiftung (Group 3) at Hanover, Germany, on Sunday. Francois Rohaut’s charge had landed the Prix Joubert (L) over 2,800m (1m 6f) as a three-year-old, and she was lightly campaigned this season.
On Sunday, her young rider, Thomas Trullier, 20, decided to make this a true test by setting a good gallop. Sticking to the stands’ side rail in the straight, Lucky Lycra anticipated the attack of the favourite Sunny Queen, which materialised 400m from the wire. Lucky Lycra gamely stuck to her task until the end securing a short-head victory and providing her rider with his first group success. Snow deprived the other French raider Episodia of third.
Rohaut said: “She deserved this group success. This was a good opportunity for her. The filly was in good shape and the ground wasn’t too heavy. The jockey rode a peach of a race by dictating terms at a pace to suit without being pressurised and Lucky Lycra did well to complete her mission. 
“She now deserves to be sent to some good stallions. It’s great when the horses you have to work with hail from some quality bloodlines. I used to train the grandam Pearly Shells, a fabulous winner of the Prix Vermeille (Group 1), and Pearl Banks, the dam of Lucky Lycra. This is a quality bloodline and one which produces classy fillies.”
Meanwhile, Al Shaqab Racing’s homebred juvenile filly Saint Moritz got off the mark in a 1,850m maiden race, winning the Prix de l’Association des Proprietaires du Sud Ouest in Agen, France, on Sunday.
The Simone Brogi trainee began her career by finishing fifth in a mile race at Bordeaux last month and made it second time lucky, stepping up in distance this time at Agen.
Saint Moritz clearly dominated the contest at Agen under Jordan Plateaux to score a comfortable two-length win. She easily held the challenge of Vedvokov at bay. 

Duhail triumphs
Al Shaqab had another winner on Sunday as Duhail landed the spoils in the Prix Major Fridolin, the feature handicap on the ParisLongchamp card on Sunday.
The André Fabre-trained four-year-old gelding delivered some performance in the seven-furlong race as he defied the welter burden of 63.5 kilos, which entailed him giving some nine kilos to the eventual second, La Poutanesca. 
Duhail was able to hold off the challenge of his rival to win by a half-a-length with Vincent Cheminaud.