Jockey Christophe Soumillon guides Al Ghadeer to H H The Amir Sword 2024 victory in this file photo.
Doha, Qatar: Al Rayyan Racecourse, at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), will host the unveiling of the three-day H H The Amir Sword Festival today. The three-day event will feature a large number of horse races, attracting strong international participation from outside Qatar. This reflects the high level of confidence in the Festival’s prestige, particularly given its remarkable growth in recent years. The Festival’s significance has been further elevated with the increase in total prize money to $10m, including the prestigious Sword race, which boasts a prize of $2.5m - the world’s highest for a Group 1 Purebred Arabian race.
Led by Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, the QREC management has finalised preparations for the highly anticipated event. Yesterday evening, the draw for the Festival’s main races took place, setting the stage for an intense competition among owners, trainers and jockeys vying for prestigious titles. Excitement and top-class competition have always been hallmarks of H H The Amir Sword Festival, and this year promises even more thrill, with two horses aiming to secure back-to-back victories in the Festival’s two feature races on the grand finale day.
QREC has been adorned in its finest look in preparation for the Festival’s grand opening, setting the stage for top-class horses to take on the ultimate challenge at Al Rayyan Racecourse. While the sporting spectacle promises thrilling competition, the Festival also offers an array of activities for fans.
These include dedicated children’s play areas and a marquee offering everything families need to enjoy the festival while soaking in the wonderful atmosphere throughout the event.
The Festival kicks off with the Sand Championships Day, featuring eight races on the opening day.
Great challenge among horses
Looking ahead to the thrilling races on Saturday, in the day’s big race, the Group 1PA H H The Amir Sword, the brilliant Al Ghadeer bids for a repeat success. History could be on the cards for Al Shaqab Racing’s six-year-old champion – a second victory in the H H The Amir Sword will secure his place in the record books as the only two-time winner of the Doha Triple Crown.
Trainer Alban de Mieulle takes part in a draw held yesterday. PICS: Juhaim/QREC
Al Ghadeer will again face a challenge from Qatar’s leading older horse Abbes, the Alban de Mieulle-trained star gave Wathnan Racing its first victory in the H H The Amir Sword in 2023.
Abbes comes into the race following a breath-taking narrow margin third consecutive win in the H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy last month, confirming that the veteran champion still has more to give.Abbes also finished runner-up in the 2022 and 2024 renewals of the Sword race.
Al Ghadeer’s stablemate Ch’Ezza tries 2400m for the first time. He is trained by Francois Rohaut for Abdullah bin Fahad Al Attiyah and won the Qatar Cup-Prix Dragon in France in September and has since finished third to Al Ghadeer in the Qatar Arabian World Cup in October and fourth, ahead of Al Doha and Abbes, in Abu Dhabi’s President Cup in December.
Trainer Thomas Fourcy fields two top-class mares from France – H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Al Doha, who finished third in the big race last year, and Al Shaqab Racing’s Nour Al Maury, who won her seventh Group 1PA last time out.
Rebel’s Romance returns to defend his title
Godolphin’s globe-trotting Rebel’s Romance will return to action in Qatar for the H H The Amir Trophy. Since winning last year, Charlie Appleby’s seven-year-old gelding has added four Group 1 successes to his resume with top-class victories in Dubai, Hong Kong, Germany and the US – that last time out win came by a neck in a thrilling Breeders’ Cup Turf in America.
The UK-trained internationals high in the ratings include the Owen Burrows-trained Alflaila, who finished fourth in November’s Bahrain International Trophy, steps up to the 2400m distance for the first time. The Foxes, trained by Andrew Balding for King Power Racing, is running over this trip for a first time since finishing fourth in Auguste Rodin’s Derby in 2023.
International participation in Dukhan Sprint
This year’s 1200m Dukhan Sprint has a strong international flavour with runners from the UK including Quinault, Washington Heights and Rogue Lightning. There is a runner from Baharain, Swift Asset, and one entry from Japan, the three-year-old EcoroSieg who is by Twirling Candy. They will take on some of the best from the home nation, led by Osama Omer Al Dafea’sTaxiwala.
The Group 1PA Qatar International Cup for Arabians over 1600m has just two international competitors with the top-rated being UK Arabian Derby winner Luwsail for Al Shaqab Racing and the 2021 Silver Sword winner Munir Du Soleil. He has since been sold to the UAE and formed part of a one-two for his trainer Ibrahim Al Hadhrami in a Group 3PA at this trip in December.
