03.11.2020

Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains: HADI DE CARRÈRE COMPLETES AN AGE GRADE GR1 PA DOUBLE

SAINT-CLOUD (FR), OCTOBER 2^nd, 2020

Gr1 PA - 3-year-old colts & geldings - 2,000m (10f) - €85,000

Following his win in the Al Rayyan Cup (Gr1 PA) under heavy rain at Deauville, Hadi de Carrère (Nieshan) started favourite (3.9-1) on this Friday card, having already beaten most of the competition. Reflecting stable confidence, he added to this win by landing the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains (Gr1 PA). This represents a rare Gr1 PA double in the 3-year-old division, and one which only two other PA horses (Marid and Muraaqib) have completed in the last 15 years.

Not by much...but assuredly. Alsaher (Mared Al Sahra) soon made a beeline for a lead on a track which rated heavy, with the future winner racing in his slipstream. Hadi de Carrère drew upsides the pacesetter at the beginning of the straight, before anchoring himself on the stands’ side rail. He then became involved in a battle with Alsaher, but the latter was unable to find another gear, having started to flag a little in the process. Meanwhile, Abbes (TM Fred Texas), started to eat up the ground. He had considerable leeway to make up half-way up the straight, but his finishing kick was such that it enabled him to get up for second. Hadi de Carrère won by a neck. Alsaher was a length further back in third.

Fourcy’s fourth win. Thomas Fourcy was landing this race for the fourth time, but, on the other hand, it marked a first win in this race for the colours of Sheail Bin Khalifa Al Kuwari.

Although the Qatari owner boasts two wins in the fillies’ equivalent of this event. The trainer of the first (Hadi de Carrère) and second (Abbes) said: "Hadi de Carrère was by no means a certainty, as I had a certain confidence in Abbes. Both ran very well. Olivier Peslier (Abbes) had a few traffic problems at the beginning of the straight, and that almost certainly cost him the race. Perhaps Abbes will reverse the placings in future. However, good ground is no real advantage to either horse. I don’t know whether Hadi de Carrère will be wintering in Qatar. It’s a horse which should improve with age subject to him having a quiet winter. His owner has yet to make a decision on this score."

A talented generation. François Rohaut said of the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani-owned homebred, and a narrow loser to Hadi de Carrère at Deauville: "Alsaher ran well. He was perhaps a little inconvenienced by the ground, and having to make the running didn’t help him either. These were extreme conditions for horses which are still tender. It’s almost as if they were still juveniles! Alsaher is a courageous colt. He was keeping very smart company, as we haven’t come across a generation of such quality for a long time. I had hoped for better but he will remain in-training next year."

Having brought up the rear, Munir du Soleil (Munjiz) rallied strongly for fourth in this Gr1 PA race. It marked only his second racecourse appearance, having been acquired at the Saint-Cloud PA sales by Paul Basquin on behalf of Mohamed Fahad Al Attiyah. He said: "I think that he should develop into a very smart 4-year-old. In the spring, he was still cropping grass in a field and is therefore backward compared to his rivals. Despite his immaturity, this well regarded type shaped like a colt with a future."

Nieshan breaks his duck at Gr1 PA level. Hadi de Carrère was bought privately by Gérard Larrieu. On this same subject, the Chantilly Bloodstock supremo told us during the summer: "Although he got beaten on his debut he dwarfed his rivals physically, and the younger stock of trainer, Éric Dell’Ova, tend to have scope for improvement. The winner is held in very high regard by Thomas Fourcy. Furthermore, a good horse belonging to one of my clients also contested the same race. So when you come across an immature colt which is able to keep tabs on the best that the Fourcy stable has to offer, then you can go ahead and buy even if you’re blindfolded. This was also the case with Lady Princess (General), whose action stamped her as something out of the ordinary. »

Bred by Catherine Dell'Ova, the colt provided his sire Nieshan (Akbar) with his first Gr1 PA winner. The stallion covers from the Haras de Carrère. Viki de Carrère (Dormane), the dam, was unraced and Hadi de Carrère is her first winner (according to the France Galop records). The colt shares the same grandam, Raha de Malartic (Dahr), as the stallion Runner (Tahar de Candelon). The latter has had few runners but the quality on offer has been appreciable. Raha de Malartic has also generated Nadir du Bac (Guytou de Carrère), the National Day Cup (Gr1 PA) third, plus Oualid du Bac (Guytou de Carrère), second in the Bani Yas Al Hadheerah (Gr2 PA). This bloodline – and namely that of Guetlato (Grabiec) – is responsible for producing the high class Akim de Ducor (Akbar) and Hamana (Goumri): the foundation mare of the Élevage de Mels breeding academy.

THE RACE SEEN AGAINST THE CLOCK

THE SECTIONAL TIMES

The first 1,000m: 1’14”19

1,000m to 600m: 32”74

600m to 400m: 13”84

400m to 200m: 13”83

Final 200m: 14”53

Time: 2’29”13

QATAR ARABIAN TROPHY DES POULAINS

Gr1 - 3-year-olds - Colts & geldings - 2.000m - €85,000

1^st        HADI DE CARRÈRE (56) C3

            (Nieshan & Viki de Carrère, by Dormane)

Owner: S. Al Kuwari
Breeder: Mrs C. Dell'Ova

            Trainer: T. Fourcy

Jockey: J. Augé

2^nd       ABBES (56) C3

            (T M Fred Texas & Raqiyah, by Amer)

Owner: H.H. Sheikh A. Bin Khalifa Al Thani

Breeder: Scea Haras de Victot

            Trainer: T. Fourcy

Jockey: O. Peslier

3^rd       ALSAHER (56) C3

            (Mared Al Sahra & Assefa d'Aroco, by Tidjani)

Owner: H.H. Sheikh Moh Bin Khalifa Al Thani

Breeder: Al Shahania Stud

            Trainer: F. Rohaut

Jockey: V. Seguy

Other runner(s) in finishing order: Munir du Soleil, Mujazif, Hahlem El Ahlem, Mayar Al Khalediah, Sir Monlau, Alhafar, Asiak, Namous de Monlau & Emberator.

Non-runner: Séraphin du Panjshir.

(Turf) Heavy. 2'29"15. Distances: NECK - 1 - 1 1/2.