Lady Princess (7/4F) became the second dual winner of the G1 Qatar International Stakes for purebred Arabians, quickening smartly to score by a neck from Hattal (7/1), with Samlla (4/1) a further length and a quarter away in third.
Princess reigns supreme
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Last year’s winner travelled strongly in rear and, although Jim Crowley was forced to wait for an opening, he had so much horse underneath him that his mare picked up immediately once in the clear.
The six-year-old joins Ebraz as the only other horse to win the Arabian Triple Crown race twice, in doing so taking her overall G1 haul to eight for trainer Thomas Fourcy and owner Khalifa bin Shaeil Al Kuwari.
Fourcy, who also took the spoils with Al Mourtajez in 2016, said: “Lady Princess really is an exceptional filly. She has such a turn of foot, no matter how the race unfolds, even today when they did not go very fast. I have had a lot of luck and have trained very good horses, but she is outstanding.
“We will go to the Qatar Arabian World Cup on Arc day, then on to Abu Dhabi and then maybe to the Dubai Kahayla Classic.”
Crowley said: “The pace was very slow, which wasn’t ideal. We sort of hacked. She took me into the race and because we went so slow, we were all on top of each other a little bit. I just had to wait for a bit of room.
I always had so much horse, I just needed a split – as soon as we got it, she was out and gone. She is a very, very special mare, and a pleasure to ride
Hattal’s trainer Xavier-Thomas Demeaulte said: “To be beaten by Lady Princess, I am very proud of the horse, he ran very well. There was not enough pace but Ioritz [Mendizabal] rode him very well. We will go next to the race on the Sunday of the Arc weekend.”
Samlla’s rider Maxime Guyon said: “I was happy with the race. The winning filly is a very good horse.”
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