Al Shaqab Racing’s Al Mourtajez demolished the opposition in the Qatar International Stakes (Gr1PA) at Goodwood yesterday. This race is the first leg of the Doha Triple Crown.
Directly put in the lead by his jockey Julien Augé, the horse never let go and in the home straight, he kept detaching himself from the rest of the lot. There was Al Mourtajez and the others in this competition.
Several lengths behind finished Prada T, who cantered amongst the other horses to keep the second place ahead of Sir Bani Yas. The title-holder came back up on the outside in the final phase to take a good third place.
Al Mourtajez, bred by Hassan Mousli, Nada Mousalli and Faiz Al Elweet had never run over the mile but it was clearly not a disadvantage for him.
The Thomas Fourcy-trained horse had raced to an impressive victory in the Qatar Coupe d’Europe des Chevaux Arabes (Gr1 PA), mid-June at Deauville.
The French trainer said: “The horse runs very well. He can go fast, but also on long distances. He is outstanding, a real champion. He has been getting better year after year and is getting more mature. His objective is the Triple Crown. He will run the day of the Arc de Triomphe and then take his revenge at Doha.”