Tribune News Network
Deauville (france)
Al Shaqab Racing-owned Nour Al Maury, trained by Thomas Fourcy and steered by jockey Christophe Soumillon, claimed the Doha Cup at Deauville in France on Tuesday.
Winning the Al Rayyan Cup was the Sultan Hamad Matar Omaira Al Shamsi-owned Bianca de Gazal for trainer X. Thomas-Demeaulte and jockey Maxime Guyon.
Both prestigious races are Group 1s for Purebred Arabians and are run over 2,000m. While the Doha Cup is for four-year-olds and older, the Al Rayyan Cup is for three-year-olds.
QREC Director of Public Relations and Marketing Salem bin Khejaim Al Adbi crowned the winners of the Doha Cup and the Al Rayyan Cup.
After a winning return in the Gr.1 (PA) Sheikh Mansoor Festival - Criterium des Pouliches last month, the five-year-old Nour Al Maury took the Gr.1 (PA) Doha Cup - Prix Manganate and is now a six-time Gr.1 (PA) winner.
Nour Al Maury travelled well in third in a race led by Soko (Nieshan) at a slow tempo. Not happy with the pace Christophe Soumillon went forward to sit half a length of the leader. Still not pressed on when the pace lifted, the fantastic mare went clear to win by two lengths. The well fancied Abbes (Tm Fred Texas) ran on for second while Rb Kingmaker (Baseq Al Khalediah) took third.
Thirty minutes earlier, the three-year-old, Bianca De Ghazal landed the Gr.1 (PA) Al Rayyan Cup - Prix Kesberoy on her second start, having made an excellent debut to the competition when second at La Teste last month.
With Nahaba leading the race at a slow pace, Bianca De Ghazal was happy to wait in final pair in company with Mahsoub (Al Mourtajez).
Once the pace lifted entering the final straight, the superb filly showed a good turn of foot to lead inside the final 300m.
She quickly pulled clear to win by two and half lengths. The favourite Mureb (Gazwan) finished second while the free-going Al Jori (Al Mamun Monlau) took third.
