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Aspetar Looms Large In Amir Trophy

A winner at the highest level in Germany and victorious in group races in France and England, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Thani's homebred Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {GB}) appears the class of the field as he makes his Qatar debut in Saturday's US$1-million H H Amir Trophy (2400m) at Al Rayyan Racecourse in Doha.

The lightly raced 6-year-old won the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly and G1 Preis von Europa in 2019 while under the care of Roger Charlton and punched his ticket to the G1 Cox Plate with a 1 1/2-length success in last year's G2 Sky Bet York S. July 25. The dark bay failed to land a serious blow when a distant 11th to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the Moonee Valley feature Oct. 24, but a return to his best European form would make him very tough here. Julian Smart now handles the training duties and Maxime Guyon has the riding assignment.

Berkshire Rocco (Fr) (Sir Percy {GB}) raids for trainer Andrew Balding on the heels of a very successful 3-year-old campaign in England in 2020. Second to subsequent G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) in the G2 Queen's Vase at the Royal meeting in June, he atoned for a fourth in the G2 Great Voltigeur S. in August with a narrow defeat at the hooves of Galileo Chrome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the Sept. 12 G1 St Leger S. He makes his first start since taking out the Listed Noel Murless S. at Ascot Oct. 2.

Noor Al Hawa (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) makes his fifth straight appearance in the Amir Trophy, having finished second in 2017 and 2018 (promoted from third). The 8-year-old comes into this test on a four-race winning skein, including a one-length score over Qatar Derby hero Hellenistique (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in a 2200-metre conditions test Jan. 28.

The rare Australian-bred in the jurisdiction, Off He Goes (Aus) (Casino Prince {Aus}) was named champion older horse at staying trips in Qatar in 2020 and carried Tomas Lukasek to a three-length win in the Khor Al Adid Cup (Local G3) over 2800 metres Jan. 21.

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International Cast For Qatar’s Major Festival

Three European Group 1 winners feature among a cast of 75 international entries for Qatar's biggest racing fixture, the HH The Amir Sword Festival.

Last week's G2 Singspiel S. winner Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) has been entered for the $1 million HH The Amir Trophy, the Longines-sponsored feature race for Thoroughbreds on Feb. 20 at Al Rayyan Racecourse in Doha, along with Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {GB}), who is owned by Qatar's HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani, and 6-year-old Intellogent (Ire) (Intello {Ger}). The latter has raced in America, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in recent seasons for trainer Fabrice Chappet, who was successful at last year's festival when Al Malhouf (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) won the HH The Amir Shalfa.

Intellogent is one of five French entries for the race along with Royal Julius (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}), another globetrotter who will be making his third consecutive appearance in Doha for Jerome Reynier, having finished runner-up in the HH The Amir Trophy in 2019 and fifth last year. Last season's St Leger runner-up Berkshire Rocco (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) has also been given an entry for the mile-and-a-half contest by trainer Andrew Balding, who also has King Power Racing's six-time winner Johnny Drama (Ire) (Lilbourne Lad {Ire}) entered.

The 5-year-old Felix (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) has won four or his five starts since joining Marco Botti's stable and he is another with a Trophy entry along with his Newmarket neighbour, Red Verdon (Lemon Drop Kid), who has now won nine of his 41 starts for Ed Dunlop and the Hon. Ronnie Arculli.

Among the local entries for the domestic Group 1 contest is a Qatari favourite, The Blue Eye (GB). Now nine, the son of Dubawi (Ire) has won 20 of his 37 races at Al Rayyan and has contested the last five runnings of HH The Amir Trophy, winning in partnership with Harry Bentley in 2016 and 2018.

With a total prize fund of $4.34 million (£3.26 million), the three-day festival features five international races on Saturday, Feb. 20—three for Thoroughbreds and two for purebred Arabians—with the Thoroughbred turf races completed by the six-furlong Breeders' Cup-sponsored Dukhan Sprint and the Al Biddah Mile for 3-year-olds.

Last season's Stewards' Cup winner Summerghand (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is one of two entries for the David O'Meara stable in the Dukhan Sprint, which has also attracted Corine Barande-Barbe's G3 Prix du Petit Couvert winner Air De Valse (Fr) (Mesnil Des Aigles {Fr}) and the listed Roses S. victor Acklam Express (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). Another French challenger in Qatar could be the 3-year-old Homeryan (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), trained by Francis Graffard for Steve Burggraf's Ecurie de Montlahuc. Last seen in public finishing runner-up in the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon in October, the colt is an entrant in the Al Biddah Mile along with Andrew Balding's recent Wolverhampton winner Wallem (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}).

The international contest on the Friday of the festival is the $200,000 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup, run over a mile for 4-year-olds and up with an entry list of 59 horses from seven different countries. Ireland's Adrian McGuinness trains three of the entries, led by the 7-year-old Saltonstall (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who has won his three most recent starts, including the listed Glencairn S. at Naas. Frederic Rossi, who had a breakthrough season in 2020 with Group 1 winners Dream And Do (Ire) and Sealiway (Fr), has entered the consistent Kenway (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), whose five wins include victory over subsequent Group 1 winner Wooded (Fr) in the G3 Prix la Rochette.

The six international races have attracted 29 horses from Britain, 23 from France, 15 from Oman, three from Ireland, two from Bahrain, and one each from Spain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

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Cox Plate Aim For Aspetar

G2 York S. winner Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {GB}) is bound for Australia’s G1 Cox Plate, having had to miss the G1 Juddmonte International earlier this month.

“If we can get him there, we’re going to run in the Cox Plate,” Charlton told Sky Sports Racing. “He has to do quarantine himself for two weeks, then they [Charlton’s staff] have to go via Sydney for two weeks before the horse arrives. Currently there are no flights to Sydney, so there are a lot of hurdles to jump. He would get there at the beginning of October and the race is the middle of October.

In addition to this year’s York S. Aspetar took last year’s G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly and G1 Preis von Europa, but Charlton indicated he thinks the 5-year-old gelding is below the cut required to win a G1 Champion S.

“If you ran him in a Champion S. here he might be fourth or fifth, he’s an honourable little horse, but it’s a sharp track out there and I think it will suit.”

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Al Kazeem’s Aspetar Turns On the Style At York

Runner-up in Sandown’s Listed Gala S. July 5, Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {GB}) took a significant step forward to add Saturday’s G2 Sky Bet York S. to his success in last year’s G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly. Anchored in last early by Jason Watson, the 11-1 shot tanked into contention in the straight and after hitting the front 1 1/2 furlongs out asserted to beat Fox Chairman (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) by 1 1/2 lengths, with half a length back to Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper) in third.

Saturday, York, Britain
SKY BET YORK S.-G2, £55,000, York, 7-25, 3yo/up, 10f 56yT, 2:07.51, gd.
1–ASPETAR (FR), 132, g, 5, by Al Kazeem (GB)
1st Dam: Bella Qatara (Ire), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Alexandrova (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
3rd Dam: Shouk (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)
O/B-HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani (FR); T-Roger Charlton; J-Jason Watson. £31,191. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ger & GSW-Fr, 13-5-2-2, $341,552. *1/2 to Qarasu (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Fox Chairman (Ire), 132, c, 4, Kingman (GB)–Starfish (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (450,000gns Ylg ’17 TATOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Manister House Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding. £11,825.
3–Lord Glitters (Fr), 132, g, 7, Whipper–Lady Glitters (Fr), by Homme de Loi (Ire). (€25,000 Ylg ’14 AR14; €270,000 4yo ’17 ARJUN). O-Geoff & Sandra Turnbull; B-SCA Elevage de Tourgeville & Mme Hilary Erculiani (FR); T-David O’Meara. £5,918.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 2 3/4. Odds: 11.00, 8.00, 16.00.
Also Ran: Telecaster (GB), Regal Reality (GB), Elarqam (GB), King of Comedy (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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