Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club
Bordeaux hosted the first Purebred Arabian race of the season for three-year-olds, the QREC-sponsored Qatar Prix Massoud, on Friday, April 2. KARAAMAH (FR) (Al Mamun Monlau x Al Anqa) 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 H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani’s ZAIN EL HALA (FR) (ASSY x CHAMADE DE GHAZAL). 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) (Dahess x Z F Al Ameena) 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 (Gr1 PA). This makes KARAAMA a full sister to SIR MONLAU. The latter won the Qatar Silver Sword at QREC Al Rayyan Park, Doha on April 1 – less than 24 hours earlier!