Wuheida won the opening race of the Arc day, the 300,000 euros Total Prix Marcel Boussac Criterium Des Pouliches, with a stirring finishing run in the final stretch at the Chantilly racecourse here yesterday. It was her maiden Group 1 victory in only her second career start.
The two-year-old filly, under Norwegian William Buick, was trailing favourite Dabyah till the final 200 metres of the 1,600m race before her late burst ended the flowing run of the tiring Dabyah, who was then edged out by Promise To Be True on the line to end a close third.
Charlie Appleby, who saddled Dubawi’s daughter, said he was expecting a good performance from her. “I am delighted with how she came from behind to win. We had been preparing her hard for the Arc and I am so happy she has delivered. The further she goes, the better she will become,” the trainer said.
It was a start-to-finish sprint for the imperious National Defense in the 350,000 euros Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium), the second race of the Arc afternoon. The British raider, under local jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot, won the 1,600m Group 1 race by four-and-a-half lengths ahead of Salouen and Whitecliffsofdover in that order.
“We have had a terrible year as the horses were sick for a long time. But they are coming back to themselves now and we knew this one had a good chance,” said his delighted trainer Criquette Head-Maarek, the celebrated female horse trainer from France. The 68-year-old Head-Maarek, who twice saddled Treve to win the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, trains and lives in Chantilly.
It was a photo finish in the 400,000 euros Qatar Prix de l’Opera Longines, with Speedy Boarding managing to chin past Pleascach in the 2,000m Group 1 race. So Mi Dar finished third in a race which was led for the better part by Al Shaqab Racing’s Jemayel before her challenge fizzled out in the final 400 metres. It was the second successive Group 1 success for the British filly after Darley Prix in Deauville in August.
In the 350,000 euros Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp, a Group 1 1,000m sprint, it was the fast-finishing Marsha, under Luke Morris, who took the honours ahead of Washington, DC and Mecca’s Angel.
Al Shaqab Racing’s Karar finished second in the Qatar Prix de la Foret, a Group I race run over 1,400m. The colt, under experienced jockey Gregory Benoist, started from stall 12 but made good ground to finish behind the pacy Limato. Suedois finished third.