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Al Shaqab Racing’s Hajmah triumphed in the Gr1 Qatar Arabian Trophy des Juments and Wathnan Racing’s First Look delivered a commanding performance to claim the Gr 2 Qatar Prix Dollar, defeating a strong field with authority on the first of the QREC-sponsored Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend meetings at ParisLongchamp Racecourse in Paris Saturday.The races were held in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani and HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee.The card featured nine races, including three Group 1 and three Group 2 contests and witnessed impressive Qatari victories that continued the winning momentum from Thursday’s Saint-Cloud meeting, where Al Shaqab Racing and Al Wasmiyah Racing landed two Group 1 Arabian contests.Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, QREC Chairman, presented the trophy of the Gr 1 PA Qatar Arabian Trophy des Juments to HE Sheikh Hamad bin Joaan al-Thani, after a brilliant victory by Hajmah.Hajmah, the talented four-year-old filly, added another top-level victory to her record by winning the Gr 1 (PA) Qatar Arabian Trophy des Juments – Pouliches 4 ans over 2,000m. The race was for four-year-old Purebred Arabian fillies and featured a field of 15 runners. Trained by Thomas Fourcy, ridden by Fabrice Veron, and bred and owned by Al Shaqab Racing, Hajmah continues to show her consistency at the highest level, following her previous Gr 1 (PA) Qatar Derby des Pur-Sang Arabes de 4 ans success against the colts. This also marked a double for trainer François Rohaut, who won the colts’ edition earlier on the card.Soon in rear in three-wide position behind Hm Al Zalmaa in a race led by Intisar De Monlau at an even pace, Hajmah travelled nicely while positions remained unchanged. Entering the final straight, Soumillon, like Saturday at Saint-Cloud, beautifully anticipated the lift of the pace and guided Hajmah up on the outside to get close to the leaders.With Intisar starting to tire, Hajmah took the lead alongside Chdia, both going clear with Geneva and Lacaro Du Croate a length behind but well clear of the rest. After a long battle in the final stages, Hajmah proved the strongest, winning by a short head over Chdia, while Geneva took third.First Look, a talented four-year-old gelding, showed great courage and class to land the Gr 2 Qatar Prix Dollar over 2,000m, a race for 3yo and older, on a competitive field of nine runners.The Wathnan Racing-owned runner came into this contest on the back of a Gr 3 Prix Gontaut-Biron win at Deauville, and is now a Group 2 winner for the first time.Trained by André Fabre and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, First Look continues to build an impressive record in middle-distance events. Quickly away from the gates, First Look settled just behind the leaders in a race led by Rqshabar with Uthred in second. Travelling strongly, he held third in the false straight, just ahead of Swagman, Bright Picture and the favourite Bay City Roller.Entering the final straight, the gelding looked full of running and still unasked for maximum effort. He moved into second as the long-time leader began to fade and soon took command, cruising while Bay City Roller closed quickly on the outside and Bright Picture challenged on the inside. Inside the final 300m, First Look remained in front, but Bright Picture and Bay City Roller kept up the pressure. In the last 100m, First Look dug deep to find extra and held on to win by a length and a quarter, with Bright Picture taking third.In the day’s opener, Tennessee, a high-class 3yo colt, proved his stamina in style when winning the Gr 2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay at ParisLongchamp, a race for three-year-olds over 3,000m that attracted a select field of seven.Trained by Joseph Patrick O’Brien, owned by the powerful partnership of Westerberg, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, and John Magnier, and ridden with confidence by stable jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, Tennessee displayed courage and authority to secure his second career Group win.Caballo De Mar, a tough and progressive four-year-old gelding, produced a powerful staying performance to land the Gr 1 Qatar Prix du Cadran over 4,000m. The race, open to four-year-olds and up, featured a small field of eight, including five supplemented runners. Coming just 13 days after his easy Gr 3 victory in the Deutsches St Leger, Caballo De Mar handled the step up in class and trip impressively to secure his first Gr 1 success.Earlier in the day, Ridari, a three-year-old colt, confirmed his rising star status with a commanding victory in the Gr 2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein over 1,600m. Open to horses aged three and older, the race featured a competitive field of ten, but Ridari showed composure and class to take the lead and dominate. The colt returned this season with a win in the Gr 3 Prix de Fontainebleau and has now stepped up to claim his first Group 2 success.Trained by Mikel Delzangles, ridden by Mickael Barzalona, and owned by Aga Khan Studs SCEA, Ridari is establishing himself as one of the top milers of his generation. Consent, a progressive three-year-old filly, delivered a career-best performance to capture the Gr 1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu. The staying contest, run over 2800m for fillies and mares aged three and up, featured a strong field of 12, but Consent rose to the challenge in style to secure her first Group 1 success.Runner-up last time out in the Gr 2 Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes over 2,900m at Doncaster, where she finished a neck behind Santorini Star despite travelling powerfully throughout, Consent confirmed her upward curve with this victory on Arc weekend.Trained with patience and precision by Sir Mark Prescott, confidently ridden by Luke Morris, and racing in the silks of Denford Stud, she proved herself a top-class stayer.Behind the leaders but wide from her draw, she eased into second, tracking Santorini Star (Golden Horn). Entering the final straight, her jockey kept her relaxed, conserving energy. She moved to the front inside the last 400m, still going easily, and then quickened decisively in the final furlong to pull away and win by four and a half lengths. Santorini Star rallied for second, with Rabbit’s Foot taking third.The final day of the festival at ParisLongchamp will feature nine thrilling races, including seven Group 1 events Sunday, making it a premier global racing fixture and a gathering of the world’s elite horses. Undoubtedly, the spotlight will be on the two main events: the third race on the card, the Qatar Arabian World Cup, carrying €1mn in prize money, and the fourth, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, offering €5mn in total prizes.The first race is the Gr1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac for 2-year-old fillies over 1,600m, featuring nine fillies, including Aylin representing Al Shaqab Racing and Amo Racing.The programme continues with the Gr1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, a 1,400m contest for 2-year-old colts, also featuring nine runners. Next up is the Prix De l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines over 1,000m for 2-year-olds and up, with 19 horses in the field, including Night Raider, owned by Wathnan Racing, and Afjan, representing Al Shaqab Racing.The fourth race is the highly anticipated Gr1 Qatar Arabian World Cup, part of the Doha Triple Crown, featuring 12 horses aged 4 and up over 2,000m.Among the contenders is Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Ghadeer, aiming for a historic third consecutive win in this race and the Triple Crown.However, he will face a number of other top-class horses also vying for the global title, including Wathnan Racing’s RB Mary Lylah, Al Shaqab Racing’s duo of AL Zwair and Luwsail, Abdulla bin Fahad al-Attiyah’s Ch’ezza, Khalifa bin Sheail al-Kuwari’s Moshrif and Mansour bin Khalil al-Shahwani’s Nabucco Al Maury.The spotlight then shifts to the Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the 2,400m showpiece for three-year-olds and upwards, which has drawn a field of 18. The market is headed by three leading contenders: Minnie Hauk, Aventure and Kalpana.Minnie Hauk, trained by Aidan O’Brien and the mount of Christophe Soumillon, has made six career starts, finishing runner-up on debut before reeling off five straight victories, the last three at Group 1 level. Aventure, from the yard of Christophe Ferland and partnered by Maxime Guyon, brings a strong résume of victories and high placings in Group company, most recently landing the Gr1 Qatar Prix Vermeille.The programme also features the Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Opéra for fillies and mares aged three and older over 2,000m, with 12 declared, among them One Look carrying the Wathnan Racing colours. Over 1,400m, the Gr1 Qatar Prix de la Forêt has drawn a field of 16, including extra, also representing Wathnan Racing. Eighteen 3-year-old and older runners line up for the competitive Qatar Grand Handicap des Flyers over 1,400m.The curtain comes down with the Qatar Prix de la Place de l’Etoile over 2,000m, which has attracted 17 contenders. The Qatar Prix La Forêt Group 1 for Thoroughbreds aged 3 and above over 1400m has 16 runners, including Extra owned by Wathnan Racing.

Al Shaqab Racing’s Sahlan produced a career best performance to win the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp during the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) sponsored Qatar Arc Trials in Paris Sunday. QREC Chairman Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah presented trophies to the winners of the day’s feature races. The card featured nine races in total, including five group contests, all run under the banner of Qatar, with each race brimming with quality, excitement and fierce competition. Al-Attiyah presented trophies for the Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon (Group 1) for Purebred Arabians — a key prep for the Qatar Arabian World Cup — which was won by HM Alchahine, owned by Helal Alalawi. In addition, he awarded the prizes for the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Group 1) for Thoroughbred fillies, claimed by Aventure, representing the colours of Wertheimer & Frère. Sahlan, the fast-improving 3-year-old colt, delivered the best performance of his career when capturing the Gr.1 Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp over 1600m.The prestigious race, open to 3-year-olds and older, assembled a high-class field of 12 runners. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, ridden by Mickaël Barzalona, and owned and bred by Al Shaqab Racing, the homebred colt came into the race full of confidence after his stylish victory in the Gr.3 Prix Daphnis – Samuel Liberman at Deauville. He has now confirmed himself at the very top level. HM Alchahine wins Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon HM Alchahine, a powerful 5-year-old colt, produced a sparkling performance to win the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon. Hardly asked a question by his rider, he cantered home under a hands-and-heels ride to secure the second Group 1 success of his career. Trained by Mme Jean-François Bernard, ridden by Cristian Demuro, and owned by Helal Alalawi, Hm Alchahine came into the race off a victory in the Gr.2 (PA) over 1600m at Hamburg-Horn, adding to his earlier Gr.2 and Gr.1 wins this season. This latest triumph confirmed his position among the very best of the Purebred Arabian division. Byzantine Dream claims Qatar Prix Foy title Japanese challenger Byzantine Dream made his trip to Paris worthwhile with a gutsy victory in the Gr.2 Qatar Prix Foy at Longchamp, run over 2400m with a field of nine for 4yo and upwards. Trained by Tomoyasu Sakaguchi, ridden by Oisin Murphy, and owned by Kazumi Yoshida, the four-year-old colt has already built a strong reputation over staying trips, most notably when landing the Gr.2 Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap in February in Riyadh, a race that carried a winner’s prize of £1,200,000. Dropping back to 2400m here, he showed both class and determination to add another prestigious trophy to his record. As expected, Mont St Michel set a strong pace in front, with his stablemate Los Angeles (Camelot) tracking closely behind. Byzantine Dream was settled in sixth on the inside, waiting patiently. Entering the final straight, the colt looked full of running but was searching for a gap. Up ahead, Los Angeles battled with Sosie, but inside the last 250m Byzantine Dream finally saw daylight. Quickening sharply, he joined Sosie for a thrilling fight inside the final 100m. Brave and determined, the Japanese raider edged ahead near the post to win by half a length. Sosie had to settle for second, while Almaqam finished strongly to take third. Aventure books Arc ticket with dominant Qatar Prix Vermeille triumph Aventure, a progressive 4-year-old mare, stamped her class with a decisive success in the Gr.1 Qatar Prix Vermeille. The 2400m contest, a key prep race for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, brought together six high-class fillies and mares. Trained by Christophe Ferland, ridden by Maxime Guyon, and carrying the colours of her breeders Wertheimer & Frère, Aventure has been in sparkling form all season. Victorious in a Gr.3 over 2000m on her seasonal return, she followed up with a Gr.2 win over 2100m, before finishing second in a strong renewal of the Gr.1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. With this Vermeille victory, she now heads confidently towards the Arc as one of France’s leading hopes. Cualificar secures Qatar Prix Niel in last stride Cualificar, a 3-year-old colt with a sparkling season behind him, produced a decisive late surge to win the Gr.2 Qatar Prix Niel. The 2400m trialbrought together a field of eight colts, all aiming for a ticket to the Arc. Trained by André Fabre, ridden by William Buick, and owned by Godolphin, Cualificar has been one of the standout performers of his generation this season. Victorious in two Gr.3 contests over 1800m in the spring, he then ran a huge race to finish a close second in the Gr.1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, beaten only half a length. This win over 2400m confirms his place among the best middle-distance colts in Europe.

Afjan showed courage and speed to win the Gr.3 Prix d’Arenberg over 1000m at ParisLongchamp. The race, for two-year-olds, brought together ten colts and fillies.Racing in the colours of Al Shaqab Racing, trained by Henri-François Devin and ridden by Christophe Soumillon, the colt was coming off a very good second place in the Gr.3 Prix de Cabourg at Deauville over 1200m. This time, he got his reward and became a Group winner.Settled in midfield, but always in touch, Afjan travelled nicely in a race run at a strong pace, with Stargazed and Shine On Me cutting out the running. Gradually improving into fifth, Afjan was only a length behind the leaders as they came under pressure, still going well under Soumillon, who was motionless in the saddle.Asked for more inside the final 300m, Afjan quickened strongly to join the front rank, battling with Shine On Me and the favourite Havana Anna. In a thrilling finish, he stayed on powerfully to edge ahead in the closing stages, holding off the rallying Havana Anna by a nose. Shine On Me finished third, clear of the remainder.Bred by Al Shaqab Racing, Afjan is out of Al Johrah, who won twice over 1000m at two and was placed twice in Gr.2 races over 1000m and 1100m. He is a half-brother to Faleh, a winner over 1000m at three. Al Johrah is out of Bea Remembered, who was placed at Listed level and is a half-sister to Stormy Antarctic, a dual Gr.2 winner and multiple Gr.3 winner, as well as to Balsam, a Listed winner over 1000m at two.