trophy pouliches 29 09 GB

SAINT-CLOUD (FRA), SEPTEMBER 29th, 2023

QATAR ARABIAN TROPHY DES POULICHES

Gr1 PA – 3-year-old fillies – 2,000m (10f) – Turf – €100,000

Anyone who has heard Maria Callas sing Casta Diva, in her rôle as Norma, in the opera of the same name, will not forget the haunting aria of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera. In her own way, Norma Al Maury (Azadi) added a touch of poetry and elegance to proceedings at Saint-Cloud by scoring a stylish win in the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches (Gr1 PA) despite her 15 draw. The filly made a winning debut at La Teste on 30th August in the colours of her breeder Renée-Laure Koch, before being sold to Al Shaqab Racing. The ground at Saint-Cloud rated good on this Friday card. So none of the runners were inconvenienced by the state of the ground. Although the pace was far less taxing than in the colts’ equivalent. Olivier Peslier held Norma Al Maury up at the back of the pack, as Anasheed (Al Mamun Monlan) set the tempo. The field bunched up somewhat as they approached the straight. And that’s when the moment of magic unfolded. As the Olivier Peslier-ridden Norma Al Maury got ‘a tow’ into the race by travelling in the slipstream of those fillies which had angled out towards the middle of the track. At the end of the day, the combination scored by just over a length at the main expense of Divina Chica (Majd Al Arab), who despite finishing second, recorded the fastest sectional times. Group placed last time out, Alrasha (Mahabb) was a close third.

Runners trained by the Mont-de-Marsan trainer were first, third, fourth and fifth in this Gr1 PA heat. Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte said: “I was a bit concerned before the race because of the draw. However, Peslier’s mastery, allied to the filly’s talent, made all the difference. It was deliberate decision not to run her after she contested a ‘maiden’ in order to be fresh for this Gr1 PA assignment. I never doubted her potential. The well-bred Norma Al Maury has also been well grounded during the ‘rearing’ process. Alrasha ran very well but she tends to idle once in front. Africa de Monlau was hindered by the draw. Asslan Al Shahania ran on very well towards the finish. She’s not that far behind the others in terms of ability.”

Thomas Fourcy, the trainer of the runner-up, said: “Divana Chica ran very well and has confirmed the positive impressions shown in the morning. On exiting the gates, Mickaël Barzalona managed to position her in the slipstream of the winner. She’s tough but doesn’t yet have the required strength to win a race such as this. In any case, she should grow into her frame with age. As for Tulaitila, she didn’t fare at all badly. She’s a very timid filly. Half-way up the straight, she didn’t have a happy time of it.  I wish that she would had a ‘cleaner’ race. I think that she, too, will improve with age. She has ability.“

Norma Al Maury was bred by Renée-Laure Koch, and latter is now the breeder of the last two winners of this Gr1 PA race. She’s a daughter of the top French PA sire Azadi (Darike), and now the sire of three winners of the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches (Gr1 PA). Azadi also features as the dam’s sire of one of the winners of this race.

The dam, the unraced Nemosie Al Maury (Kesberoy), has produced the Malazgirt Trophy (Gr1 PA) winning sire No Problem Al Maury (Dormane), and the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches (Gr1 PA) third No Tear Al Maury (Jaafer Asf). Nemosie Al Maury is also the grandam of No and No Al Maury (Nizam): the Coupe d’Europe des Chevaux Arabes (Gr1 PA) third ; the French Arabian Breeders’ Challenge Sprint (Gr2 PA) winner Natalma Al Maury

 (Dahess); plus the excellent Nour Al Maury (Azadi), and herself a triple Gr1 PA winner, including the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches. 

This is the line of No Risk Al Maury (Kesberoy) and Nacrée Al Maury (the dam of Lady Princess and Mister Ginoux)…

THE RACE SEEN AGAINST THE CLOCK

SECTIONAL TMES

First 1.000m: 1m ’10’’38s

From 1.000m to 600m: 30’’2s

From 600m to 400m: 13’’62s

From 400m to 200m: 12’’57s

Final 200m: 12’’82

Final time: 2m’19’’99s