Al Mourtajez looked unstoppable in winning the Qatar Arabian World Cup, winning by an imperious four-and-a-half lengths to not only repeat his 2015 feat, but also to stay in line for the Doha Triple Crown.
The Al Shaqab Racing champion colt started slowly but had too much speed for his 14 rivals in the 2000m Group 1 race, sponsored by Al Emadi Enterprises. Mehdaaf Athbah finished a distant second, beating HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani-owned Tayf in a photo finish at the Chantilly racecourse here.
The son of Dahess has already won the Qatar International Stakes, which was run as part of the Qatar Goodwood Festival in July. He now has to win the HH Emir’s Sword, to be run in Doha in February 2017 to win the $1,000,000 bonus, and the kind of form he is in at the moment, it would be a surprise if he can’t manage the feat.
The Arabian runner has looked unstoppable wherever he has run this season, with as many as seven Group 1 wins, coming into the Arc weekend and most of his wins have been by big length margins.
The Qatar Arabian World Cup, established in 2008, is considered as the equivalent to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for Purebred Arabians with a prize money of 1,000,000 euros.
Under long-time jockey Julien Auge, Al Mourtajez had a rather slow start from his gate number 10 start but was soon into his groove at the halfway mark, blitzing past his rivals and letting the guard down till the finish.
“He’s very different for other horses,” Auge was quoted as saying in media reports before the race. “His big action, the big stride just takes him along and it is possible that he can change gear and sprint at the end of the race. He is the best Purebred Arabian horse that you will see in the world. Some Arabians can change speed, but this Arabian is exceptional because he runs like a thoroughbred.”
Barring the HH Emir’s Sword earlier this year, where he was beaten by Gazwan, Al Mourtajez has been unstoppable this season. Yesterday’s win extended the streak.