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St Mark’s Basilica storms to victory

St Mark’s Basilica storms to victory

The Peninsula

The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC) sponsored the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, the French Derby, for the first time in 2021. This Classic race reunites the best European 3-year-old colts and is also known as a stallion making race, with the likes of Lope de Vega, Shamardal, Dalakhani and Montjeu all former winners. 

H E Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani, Ambassador of Qatar to France, and Edouard de Rotshchild, President of France Galop, presented the trophies to the winners at the Chantilly Racecourse. 

The Irish trained St Mark’s Basilica, who started favourite, was the clear winner of this year’s exceptional edition, which reunited the cream of the 3-year-old crop,, three weeks after his triumph in the Group 1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp. He was ridden once again by Ioritz Mendizabal, who gave his mount a dream ride on the rail. 

By leading French stallion Siyouni (based at the Normandy stud of His Highness the Aga Khan), St Mark’s Basilica, gave his rivals the slip 300 metres from the post. 

Sealiway, representing the Haras de la Gousserie and Guy Pariente, came in second for trainer Frédéric Rossi. Milleboscwas a close third: he runs in the colours of Gérard Augustin-Normand and was ridden by Grégory Benoist. He is trained in Deauville by the young StéphanieNigge, who was having her first runners in this Classic race. 

St Mark’s Basilica is trained by Irishman Aidan O’Brien, one of the most successful trainers in Europe (he has won the Epsom Derby eight times), although success in the Qatar Prix du Jockey-Club had eluded him until now.