Sheikh Joaan Crowned Winners on Day 2 of Qatar Goodwood Festival

Sheikh Joaan

HE President of Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al-Thani crowned the winners of the second day of Qatar Goodwood Festival on Wednesday at the Goodwood Racecourse, UK. The five-day Festival will continue up to Saturday.

His Excellency crowned the winners of today's most prestigious races; the Gr1 PA Qatar International Stakes and the Gr1 Qatar Sussex Stakes.

The second day of the 2023 renewal of the Festival had an eight-race card and the start was a with a massive Qatari victory when the Al Shaqab Racing-owned Al Ghadeer (Al Mourtajez x Gharraa) landed the title of the Group 1 PA Qatar International Stakes. With this victory under his belt, Al Ghadeer now boasts an incredible record of six consecutive group victories, including four Group 1s and two Group 3s in only seven career starts so far. He also managed to keep the title Qatari for the fifth year in a row.

Following this win HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al-Thani presented the trophies to the winners, Al Shaqab Racing.

No stopping AL GHADEER at Qatar Goodwood Festival The richest Arabian race on the British racing calendar, the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar International Stakes worth 400,000 pounds in prizemoney produced yet another thrilling finish and went the way of Al Ghadeer in the colours of Al Shaqab Racing.

As was announced by his trainer Francois Rohaut following his Gr.1 (PA) success on Prix De Diane day at Chantilly, the Al Shaqab Racing-owned four-year-old Arabian AL GHADEER not only turned up on Day 2 of the Qatar Goodwood Festival, but also dominated the proceedings to land the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar International Stakes.

Partnered by Christophe Soumillon in a select field of eight, of which three quarters were French trained, Al Ghadeer vied for favouritism with his stablemate Moshrif (Dahess) before the off, of the 1600m Gr.1 (PA) contest. The only four-year-old in the field and already seeking a fourth success at the highest level, Al Ghadeer travelled strongly in mid-peloton, in a race taken along by Moshrif.

Showing his class on the decent towards home, Soumillon allowed the colt to take closer order and the pair duly put the race to bed in a matter of strides. Al Ghadeer cruised into the lead, passing stablemate Moshrif and passing the post with three and a half lengths to spare over the game, but never-nearer First Classs (Dahess), who finished second for owner Noora Racing, trainer Jean de Mieulle and jockey Ronan Thomas. The HE Sheikha Reem Bint Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al-Thani-owned Samlla (Assy) ran his usual courageous race and like in the 2022 edition, seized the third place, for the winning trainer Francois Rohaut, late on as he was a further half length behind under jockey Maxime Guyon.