Sheikh Abdullah’s Karaamah wins QREC-sponsored Qatar Prix Massoud

Olivier Peslier (left) rides Karaamah to victory in the Qatar Prix Massoud in Bordeaux, France, on Friday. (Polin & Ferriere)

Bordeaux hosted the first Purebred Arabian race of the season for three-year-olds, the QREC-sponsored Qatar Prix Massoud, on Friday. Karaamah annexed this particular heat, over seven furlongs, for unraced types in the colours of her owner-breeder, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani. Trained by Didier Guillemin, the bay filly was ridden on her racecourse bow by Olivier Peslier. In a race in which Josko (Josco Du Cayrou x Essaana) set a modest pace, Karaamah settled in mid-division. Challenging between horses and, travelling very comfortably, the filly placed herself in the firing line after laying down the gauntlet to the leaders. After a couple of reminders, Karaamah asserted by a neck in front of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Zain El Hala. The winner carried half a kilo (1lb) more than the runner-up, with the latter, trained by Thomas Fourcy, benefitting from Laurie Foulard's claim. Adil Al Mazrooei’s ZF Almuzon (FR) finished one and quarter lengths further in third for trainer T. Lemer and jockey Antoine Werle. Karaamah is a daughter of the Al Shaqab Racing sire Al Mamun Monlau, a stallion based at the Haras du Grand Courgeon. Her dam, Al Anqa, won the French Arabian Breeders' Challenge (Group 1 PA). This makes Karaamah a full sister to Sir Monlau, who had won the Qatar Silver Sword at Al Rayyan Park in Qatar on Thursday.