EXCEPTIONAL AL GHADEER MAKES EUROPEAN RETURN IN THE QATAR INTERNATIONAL STAKES AT THE QATAR GOODWOOD FESTIVAL

Al Ghadeer and Christophe Soumillon winners of the 2023 Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA) at the Qatar Goodwood Festival ©Debbie Burt – Equine Creative Media

Last year’s winner bids for back to back success on road to a second Doha Triple Crown

Sunday 28 July 2024 –

The Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) is thrilled to see 2023 Qatar International Stakes winner Al Ghadeer declared for the 2024 running of the £400,000 Group 1PA contest. Held over a mile on Wednesday 31 July on the second day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, the race traditionally attracts some of the best Arabians in the world.

Trained by Francois Rohaut and partnered by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes winning jockey Christophe Soumillon, Al Ghadeer became only the second horse to secure the Doha Triple Crown, adding the Qatar Arabian World Cup in ParisLongchamp over 2000m and the HH The Amir Sword in Doha over 2400m to his Goodwood success in his next two outings. Owned by Al Shaqab Racing, the colt is the best produce to date of their champion racehorse and leading young sire Al Mourtajez, winner of the race in 2016 in record time. Both horses have achieved a rating of 130 – the highest mark ever given to an Arabian racehorse since classifications began in 2011.

Al Shaqab Racing could complete a one-two-three with their other declared runners, Afjan, a Group1PA winning juvenile last season and Al Wakrah who came within half a length of a fillies’ top-level success on her most recent start. She is the sole representative for Jean de Mieulle, whilst Rohaut has two other runners, along with Al Ghadeer and Afjan, in Ska De L’Aigle and Al Zeer. They are owned by the brothers Abdullah and Mohammed bin Fahad Al-Attiyah respectively, with Ska De L’Aigle winning a Group 2PA in Milan, and Al Zeer placing over this trip in the Group 3PA Qatar Arabian Derby for three-year-olds.

The domestic trained challengers include the Peter Hammersley trained Abiyah Athbah, a close fifth in this in 2020, she must have fast ground and comes here on the back of a recent Group 2PA success beating Fareedhat El Izz and Upstart Crow. Winds Of Fortune represents US owner breeder Deborah Mihaloff, whose First Classs came second to Al Ghadeer last year when leased by Noora Racing. He, along with Al Nujaifi Racing’s Fareedhat El Izz and Linda Reeves’ Upstart Crow are all handled by multipurpose trainer James Owen in Newmarket.

Quotes:

HE Issa Bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club Chairman commented: “We are proud of our sponsorship of the Qatar International Stakes as one of our most valuable races and part of our commitment to promote Arabian racing, which has a tremendous heritage in Qatar. We are very pleased to see this race, once again, attracting some of the world’s best Arabians such as last year’s winner Al Ghadeer, who went on to complete the Doha Triple Crown. Thanks to the excellent cooperation with ARO and Goodwood, this 2024 edition promises to be very competitive and fans of all forms of racing will be fascinated by the spectacle of the Arabian horses at the Goodwood Festival.”

Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer said, “We are thrilled to see the world’s highest rated Arabian Al Ghadeer return to defend his crown in our most valuable race of the season, which is also the most valuable over a mile in Europe. This gives racegoers and those watching on television another opportunity to see an Arabian horse of this exceptional quality run in the UK.”

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