In a select field of only five runners, it was the Yas Horse Racing Management-owned hombred Teema (Bibi De Carrere x Dahwa), who got the fractions right to land the Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon (Gr.1 PA).

The five-year-old purebred Arabian mare has enjoyed an outstanding ten-race career, overseen by her trainer Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte and added a second Gr.1 (PA) success to her achievements, following her narrow success in the 2021 running of the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Juments (Gr.1 PA) at ParisLongchamp.

Sitting in behind her stablemate Elaf (Rabbah De Carrere) through the early stages, Teema travelled well, as the five runner disputed the 2000m contest in Indian file. Swinging off the rail into the straight and stylishly moving up to lead, Teema managed to hold off a wave of challengers close home and went on to score by three quarters of a length from First Class (Dahess) in second, with Hadi De Carrere (Nieshan) a further half a length back in third.

Placed on her three other starts at Gr.1 (PA) level, Teema is one of the leading purebred Arabian mares in France and should make her presence felt when returning to ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend.

“She is a very good filly and did it well. I can’t get my head around how she was beaten the last day but that’s racing. Today we seen her true face and Xavier had told me beforehand that he expected to see her give a big performance”, said the winning trainer.

Bred by her owners Yas Horse Management, Teema is out of brilliant Arabian mare Dahwa (Tidjani), who won the Gr.2 (PA) Prix de l’Elevage at Toulouse and is a half-sister to the top-class dual Gr.1 (PA) winner Hayyan (Munjiz).

IRESINE SIGNS CAREER BEST IN QATAR PRIX FOY

The Bertrand Milliere, Ecurie Jean-Paul Gauvin, Christian Goutelle & Jean-Pierre Gauvain owned five-year-old Iresine (Manduro x Inanga) took his career to a new height with a stunning success in the Qatar Prix Foy (Gr.2).

Trained by Jean-Pierre Gauvin, Iresine has been a regular provider of winners to his jockey Marie Velon, with the duo now successful on ten of their fourteen racecourse outings.

Setting off last of the six runners for the 2400m contest, Iresine travelled easily in a race led by the Australian mare Verry Elleegant (Zed). As is often the case with Iresine, he was held up for an extremely late run towards the inside rail. Despite being checked in his stride on multiple occasions, the gelding managed to switch wide inside the final 200m and produced an excellent effort to win by a length and a quarter from Bubble Gift (Nathaniel), with the early leader Verry Elleegant fading into third late on.

A winner at Gr.3 level over 2000m at ParisLongchamp in 2021, along with two Listed successes at Lyon-Parilly, the talented gelding produced an excellent turn of foot to add the Gr.2 Qatar Prix Foy to his CV, going two places better than his 2021 run in the race behind the Japanese-trained Deep Bond (Kizuna).

Bred by Pierre Joyaux and Marie-Louise Van Dedem, Iresine is the only winner out of Inanga (Oasis Dream). Inanga is a sister to both the Gr.3 placed In Chambers (Oasis Dream), and Too Marvelous.

SWEET LADY MAKES ALL TO WIN QATAR PRIX VERMEILLE

Owned by Gemini Stud, the four-year-old Sweet Lady (Lope De Vega x High Heel Sneakers) produced a career best effort and handled the rain softened ground with ease to win the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Gr.1).

Trained in Chantilly by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden to success by Gregory Benoist for the first time, the consistent daughter of Lope De Vega has now won six of her fourteen starts and was having her fifth attempt at Gr.1 level.

A soft ground specialist, Sweet Lady was quick out of the stalls for the €600,000 Qatar-sponsored contest and led the eleven-runner field through the early stages at relatively steady pace. The pre-race favourite and Epsom Oaks (Gr.1) winner Tuesday (Galileo) was held up towards the rear of the field under Sweet Lady’s regular rider Ioritz Mendizabal, who opted to ride the Irish raider. Travelling well into the straight, Sweet Lady had the field stacked up behind her and battled hard against the rail. Fending off a large wave of challengers inside the closing stages, Sweet Lady held off the fast-finishing Lilac Road (Mastercraftsman) to score by a head. Absent since her second placed finish behind Nashwa (Frankel) in the Prix de Diane (Gr.1) La Parisienne (Zarak) finished a short head further back in third.

The winning trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said after the race

“That is a real super victory! She goes extremely well on the soft ground and that has helped her a lot. We have been going through a lean patch with not very many runners at the top level over the summer and we weren’t very flamboyant at Deauville. She will now go and take her chance in the Arc, she should run well”.

Bred by Stratford Place Stud Sweet Lady is out of the Listed winner High Heeled Sneakers and is a sister to Listed winner Toujours L’Amour (Authorized). The second dam Sundae Girl (Green Desert) was a winner over 1200m and has produced two further winners, including the Listed Placed Easy Sundae (Diableneyev).

SIMCA MILLE CONTINUES INCREDIBLE RISE

Having only broken his maiden in April, the Haras de la Perelle owned homebred Simca Mille (Tamayuz x Swertia), continues to rapidly climb through the ranks and put in a tough performance to land the Qatar Prix Niel (Gr.2).

Trained in Deauville by Stephane Wattel and providing a quick-fire double for his jockey Greg Benoist, Simca Mille has now won four of his last five starts, with his only defeat coming at Gr.1 level, where he was beaten by Onesto (Frankel), who recently finished second in the Irish Champion Stakes (Gr.1) at Leopardstown. Simca Mille remains entered in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr.1) on October 2nd, which is disputed over the same course and distance as the €150,000 Qatar Prix Niel (Gr.2).

In a change of tactics, Simca Mille was held up towards mid-division in a race set alight by l’Astronome (Frankel). Taking over early in the straight, Simca Mille held on bravely to score by three quarters of a length from a fast-finishing Lassaut (Almanzor), with True Testament (Siyouni) a further length off the runner-up in third.

The winning trainer Stephane Wattel said after the race

Source: Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club