The first stage in historic bid for a third Doha Triple Crown
The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) was thrilled to see world champion Arabian, Al Ghadeer, head the declarations for the £400,000 Qatar International Stakes, presented by Visit Qatar on Wednesday 30 July. The Group 1PA contest held over a mile as part of the Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar, is the most valuable race at that distance for Arabians in Europe. He will be ridden by regular partner Christophe Soumillon in his bid for an historic third win in the race, which in turn, may lead to an equally historic third Doha Triple Crown success.
Al Ghadeer winning the Qatar International Stakes Gr 1PA, Qatar Goodwood Fesitval 2024
©Debbie Burt – Equine Creative Media
Trained by Francois Rohaut for Al Shaqab Racing, the six-year-old son of their champion racehorse and sire, Al Mourtajez, himself a winner of this race in 2016, arrives in Goodwood refreshed from a break. He won the world’s most valuable Arabian race, the $2.5 million HH The Amir Sword over a mile and a half in February, on the back of his Qatar Arabian World Cup win over a mile and a quarter on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp. These three Group 1PA races combine to form the Doha Triple Crown, the bonus for which is generously provided by Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club. Al Ghadeer is the only horse to complete the Crown win twice, and a hat-trick of wins will cement his place in the history books as the greatest Arabian racehorse of all time.
Rohaut and Al Shaqab are also responsible for the only four-year-old in the race, Rajaaz, who will be partnered by Jean-Bernard Eyquem. The Pau based trainer also fields two-time Group1PA winner Ch’ezza for Abdullah Fahad Al-Attiyah who will be ridden by Lukas Delozier, champion apprentice in France in 2015. This will be the seven-year-olds first attempt at a mile. His team is completed by Djafar, who was fourth in this race to Lady Princess in 2022 for previous connections and won a Group 2PA contest over this trip in March at Meydan, when ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, who is in the saddle again at Goodwood for Abubaker Kadoura.
The UK challenge sees former ARO champion trainer with two lightly raced but talented runners, Hadaaya owned by Athbah Stud and Izenterisky, a homebred owned by his wife Sheila. Hadaaya is a half-brother to a Group 1PA winner in the UAE and will be partnered by Tom Marquand, whilst Izenterisky came back from early retirement last season to win a valuable handicap at Chester over seven furlongs under John Fahy, who is back on board here. Both horses have the notable distinction that their trainer rode both their sire and dam during his career as jockey. Completing the field is two-time winner Jeewan, reunited with previous winning pilot, George Bass, who is trained by Barry Brennan for Maddy Plumb.
Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “As you’d expect for a race of this value, it always attracts some of the best Arabians in the world. To have a horse of Al Ghadeer’s quality in the field, poised to make history for a third time, is a real boost for our sport in the UK.
“We warmly thank Visit Qatar, new sponsors for this race at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, and Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club who have supported our racing for many years and we look forward to showcasing Arabian racing to a new audience on course and on television, as well as our regular supporters on Wednesday at 12.45pm.”
