Tayf wins Qatar International Stakes at Glorious Goodwood

It was a Qatari one-two at Qatar Goodwood Festival yesterday as Tayf fought hard to just edge out Ebraz by a nose on the line in the Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA). Owned by Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani and trained by Alban De Mieulle, Tayf had been beaten by HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Ebraz when they last met in the Emir’s Sword in Doha in February. In a photo-finish, it was Tayf who came out on top.
While both horses are trained in France in the summer months, this was certainly the worst weather and underfoot conditions either horse had faced in their careers. Speaking after the race De Mieulle said: “Both horses are good, and I know Tayf is a nice horse and Olivier Peslier rode him very well today. We did not know if he would handle the ground. He’s done very well and I am pleased with him.”

Tayf had not been seen out since the Doha race, however Ebraz had the benefit of a European run, winning a Group 3 in France last month. De Mieulle continued: “Yes, we don’t want to push him too much because the season is long, coming from Qatar to Europe, so we will wait now and go straight to Chantilly for the Qatar World Cup.”
Gemma Cobb, Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) Racing Operations Executive said: “That was a really exciting finish with two of the world’s best Arabian horses fighting it out to the line in desperate conditions. We congratulate both sets of connections and also those of Prada T who has now been placed in this race three times.”
The second and third stages of the Triple Crown are the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Gr1PA), run at Chantilly in October, and the Emir’s Sword (Gr1PA) to be run in Doha in February 2018. This series links together three of the most prestigious international racing events and also carries a $1,000,000 bonus to any horse who can win all three stages.

Qatar’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, HE Yousef bin Ali Al Khater, said that the Qatar Goodwood Festival has become a hallmark in horseracing in the United Kingdom. Speaking during the second day of the Festival, he said: “The Festival is now a destination for horse fans and lovers in general especially with the strong presence of the best horses and the desire of owners and trainers to win the Festival’s prizes. The Festival is also held regularly every year without change, which confirms the Qatar’s commitment of sponsorship and adds a positive effect to the Qatari-English relations in the sports field, which is one of the many areas that see close cooperation between the two countries.
Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Chairman of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), expressed his satisfaction with the quality of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, also known as the Glorious Goodwood, on the first two days of the event, especially as QREC is keen to maintain the achievements of the first two editions of the Festival. “This year and for the first time, Qatari companies are participating in the Festival to show the roles they fulfil in their respective fields of business”, he said.
The G3 Bombay Sapphire Molecomb Stakes saw Havana Grey make all under the stands’ rail to triumph by a length and three-quarter for trainer Karl Burke, who, ahead of racing, had cast worries about the state of the soft ground aside.