Agencies/Doncaster

Though the going was soft, the Alban de Mieulle trained Tabarak was upto the task on hand as he kept aside the challenge of Djet Taouy and Al Mouhannad and assert his supremacy and also announce his arrival as a serious challenger in the Qatar Arabian World Cup at Longchamp racecourse in Paris on October 6.

Champion French saddle artist Olivier Peslier was astride the winner. A crowd of almost 30,000 flocked to Doncaster Racecourse, UK, for the final day of the Ladbrokes St Leger meeting where one of the feature race showcased some of the world’s most accomplished Pure Bred Arabians.

Staged under the patronage of HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Faleh al-Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) and promoted in conjunction with the Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO), the Group I race will be the first ARO Arabian race to be run on a UK Classic card.

Winning trainer Alban de Mieulle said, “I was very pleased with him and it was a good race. I hope we will go next to the Qatar Arabian World Cup at Longchamp but he wouldn’t want the ground to be any softer that it was today.”

Winning jockey Olivier Peslier said, “I knew he was a fast horse probably the best in the race – he’s won well. “He picked up well at the end of the race even though the ground was too soft for him. He was third in the big race at the Arc meeting last year when the ground was very heavy and we think he needs quicker going.”

HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Faleh al-Thani presented specially commissioned trophies to the winning connections and QREC general manager Sami Jassim al-Boenain represented the winning owner. Mark Spincer, Doncaster Racecourse Managing Director said, “It has been a great pleasure for us to stage such a prestigious Arabian race and an honour to host HE Sheikh Mohamed. I was delighted with the way the Ladbrokes St Leger Day crowd embraced the race and we look forward to establishing the QREC Harwood International Stakes as a valuable addition to the St Leger Day programme.”