Doha | Horse Racing Free Tips

Outbox Lands Amir Trophy For Watson, Doyle

A stakes winner in England and stakes-performed in France and in Sweden, Outbox (GB) (Frankel {GB}) added a stamp from Qatar to his passport for Saturday's His Highness The Amir Trophy in Doha and walked away with the lion's share of the US$1-million in prize money on offer. The Amir Trophy is one of three races contested locall that is recognized internationally as black-type eligible.

Ridden aggressively from a wide alley by Hollie Doyle, Outbox took up a pace-pressing position from second, as Qatari Gold (Lemon Drop Kid), with Tom Marquand in the irons and ostensibly in the race to set things up for 2017 winner and fellow 9-year-old stablemate Noor Al Hawa (Fr) (Makfi {GB}), was intent to lead over the very quick ground. Shadowing the front-runner's every step into the second bend, Outbox went for home 400 metres out and stayed on very gamely under energetic handling to prevail narrowly. Mutabahi (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}), a full-brother to last year's winner French King (GB), missed the break and endured a wide passage, but boxed on tenaciously in a luckless effort. King Power's Fox Tal (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), midfield and keen early, rallied well enough once into the clear to finish third.

Outbox made the first eight starts of his career for his breeder and Simon Crisford for a solid record of 3-2-2, but missed the entirety of the 2020 season and changed hands for 16,000gns at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale. Third to Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G3 John Porter S. last April, he caused an upset when besting 2019 G1 St Leger hero Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the Listed Fred Archer S. at Newmarket last June and earned further group black-type when runner-up in the G3 Stockholm Cup International at Bro Park in September. Outbox was last seen finishing down the field in listed company over the Deauville all-weather in December.

Immaculately bred, Outbox is out of a Group 2-winning daughter of Group 1 winner Zomaradah (GB) (Deploy {GB}), whose legend has been cemented as the dam of the prolific Dubawi (Ire) (Dubai Millennium {GB}). Emirates Queen is the dam of the 3-year-old filly Emirates Empress (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and a yearling colt by Kingman (GB).

HH THE AMIR TROPHY (Black-Type), $1,000,000, Al Rayyan, 2-19, 4yo/up, 2400mT, 2:25.11, fm.
1–OUTBOX (GB), 128, g, 7, Frankel (GB)–Emirates Queen (GB) (GSW-Eng, GSP-Fr, $115,027), by Street Cry (Ire). (16,000gns HRA '20 TATAUT). O-Hambleton Racing Ltd XXXIII; B-Sheikh Mohammed bin Obaid al Maktoum; T-Archie Watson; J-Hollie Doyle; $570,000. Lifetime Record: SW & MGSP-Eng, GSP-Swe, SP-Fr, 25-7-5-3, $813,672. *1/2 to Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal), SP-Eng.
2–Mutabahi (Fr), 126, c, 4, French Fifteen (Fr)–Marina Piccola (Ire), by Halling. O-HE Sheikh Joann Bin Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani; B-SCEA Haras de Victot; T-Henri-Alex Pantall; J-Olivier Peslier; $220,000.
3–Fox Tal (GB), 128, g, 6, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Maskunah (Ire), by Sadler's Wells. (475,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited; T-Andrew Balding; J-David Probert; $110,000.
Margins: HF, 1HF, NK.

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McGuinness Team Poised for Middle Eastern Assignments

Trainer Ado McGuinness is sending Shamrock Thoroughbreds' Harry's Bar (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) to the $1.5-million Saudi Arabian Airlines Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the $20-million Saudi Cup undercard on Feb. 20. A 75,000gns purchase out of the Tattersalls HIT Sale last October, the 6-year-old gelding saluted in the Listed Belgrave S. on Nov. 6 and took a six-panel contest on Feb. 5, both over the Dundalk synthetic.

“He's in great form,” said McGuinness. “He's come back 100% from his last race, he's cantering away and he's heading out to Saudi on Sunday morning.

“They tell me it's the closest dirt track to an all-weather surface probably in the world. He's an all-weather specialist so hopefully he'll act on it.”

Added McGuinness, “We've only run him twice and the first day when he won the listed race if he had got beat and finished down the field I'd have been called all sorts, because he'd only come out of the sales and run a few days later. We gambled and it worked. He's a very good horse and is enjoying life here.

“His win at Dundalk last week was a very good performance. The handicapper put his turf rating up three pounds after that and left his all-weather mark alone. I couldn't understand that. If he goes back to grass I think he'll be a nice horse for the Wokingham.”

Harry's Bar's stablemate SW Saltonstall (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) is also competing on the Saudi Cup card, in a $1-million conditions race after a run at Dundalk on Friday.

“He's heading for Saudi as well all being well,” he said. “He's in really good form after his break. I'm looking forward to getting him out and about. It's not going to be easy in Saudi, but I think he'll run a big race there.”

Rounding out the McGuinness trio is Bowerman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}), who is targeting a local Qatari Group 2 at Doha.

“Bowerman goes to Doha next week for mile Group 2 on the grass on the Friday night,” said the trainer. “We'd have gone for the bigger race there, only the handicapper dropped him.”

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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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