13.50 Newmarket, Cond, £30,000, 3yo, 7fT
Jaber Abdullah's 3-year-old colt HI ROYAL (IRE) (Kodiac {GB}), a half-brother to MGSW G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois fourth Noor Al Hawa (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) out of G1 Falmouth S. heroine Majestic Roi (Street Cry {Ire}), makes his sophomore debut coming back off a 215-day break in Newmarket's opening event of 2023. The March-foaled bay garnered a 'TDN Rising Star' badge at Ayr in September when last on duty and he encounters eight rivals, all winners, in a contest annexed four times in the last six years by subsequent pattern-race scorers. Hi Royal's opposition is headed by the Godolphin pair Majestic Pride (GB) (Shamardal) and City Of Kings (GB) (Kingman {GB}). The former is a half to MG1SW sire Farhh (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) produced by dual Group 1 heroine Gonbarda (Ger) (Lando {Ger}), while the latter is a son of G2 Lancashire Oaks victrix and G1 Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks fourth Horseplay (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}).
Noor Al Hawa (Fr) (Makfi {GB}–Majestic Roi, by Street Cry {Ire}), champion of his generation in Germany as a 3-year-old and a four-time highweighted older horse in Qatar, will enter stud in 2023 at Haras du Grand Courgeon some 25 kilometres northwest of Angers. He will command a fee of €2,300.
Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock Limited, Noor Al Hawa raced in the early part of his career for Jaber Abdullah and was trained by Andreas Wohler. He came to hand at three in 2016, posting a breakthrough black-type success in the Listed Prix de Tourgeville at Deauville and added a pair of German Group 3 tests before being acquired by the Qatar-based Al Wasmiyah Stud.
A three-length winner of the US$500,000 Qatar Derby (Listed), the chestnut was runner-up in the Listed H.H. The Emir's Trophy the following February and again in 2018 before winning the G3 Grand Prix de Vichy for trainer Elias Mikhalides that summer.
Permanently relocated to Doha in late 2018 and transferred to Georges Mikhalides, Noor Al Hawa went on to win 10 of 17 starts, including the 2021 Amir Trophy at his fifth attempt (video). His final racetrack appearance was a gallant fourth in defence of his Amir Trophy crown last February and he heads to the breeding barn with a career record of 18-6-5 from 37 starts for prize money of US$2,755,942.
“He's a remarkably tough horse, who has traveled extensively while performing over every surface and a large variety of distances,” renowned Qatar trainer Alban de Mieulle told Jour de Galop. “He's also a beautiful horse, very correct, with a great personality and I think that he will be a success as far as a sire of jumpers, for example. His owner is going to support him with flat mares.”
A half-brother to German stakes winner Majestic Jasmine (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), Noor Al Hawa is out of Majestic Roi, who carried Abdullah's silks to a 16-1 upset in the 2007 G1 Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket after causing a 25-1 boilover in that year's G3 Fred Darling S. She was also second in that year's G2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly. The listed-winning second dam L'Extra Honor (Hero's Honor) was also responsible for G3 Arc Trial hero Black Spirit (Black Minnaloushe). Noor Al Hawa's deeper female family includes the outstanding Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) (Danehill).
Making a remarkable fifth straight appearance in the marquee race on the Qatar racing calendar, the US$1-million H.H. The Amir Trophy, Al Wasmiyah Farm's Noor Al Hawa (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) took advantage of a soft trip attending a modest pace and raced away to a convincing victory Saturday in Doha. Berkshire Rocco (Fr) (Sir Percy {GB}), who nearly took out the 2020 G1 St Leger S., came home second ahead of last year's Qatar Derby hero Hellenistique (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in third. The Amir Trophy is one of three races contested locally that is eligible for full black-type per international cataloging standards.
Noor Al Hawa bounced well from gate one, but was content to allow the slightly longer-winded Off He Goes (Aus) (Casino Prince {Aus}) a very easy time of things up front. With Alberto Sanna hard against him entering the final 800 metres, Noor Al Hawa always traveled like a winner, wresting command with a bit less than a quarter-mile to race before lengthening clear. Berkshire Rocco raced prominently throughout and was narrowly runner-up ahead of Hellenistique, who rallied from last to collect third money. Top-rated Aspetar (Fr) (Al Kazeem {GB}) would have been inconvenienced by the lack of pace and ran on gamely to be fourth after sitting an inside trip behind midfield.
The champion of his generation in Germany in 2016, Noor Al Hawa won that year's Qatar Derby in his local debut before finishing runner-up to Chopin (Ger) (Santiago {Ger}) in the 2017 Amir Trophy. Third, but placed second behind local legend The Blue Eye (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) the following February, he was unplaced in the last two renewals, but was in career form for 2021, having won four on the bounce with Sanna at the controls.
Noor Al Hawa is out of Majestic Roi, upset winner of the 2007 G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. for Jaber Abdullah and Mick Channon. The half-sister to 2012 G3 Newbury Arc Trial hero Black Spirit (Black Minnaloushe) is the dam of a 2-year-old Mastercraftsman (Ire) filly and a yearling colt by Kodiac (GB).
WATCH: Noor Al Hawa breaks through in the Amir Trophy in Qatar
Saturday, Al Rayyan, Qatar H.H. THE AMIR TROPHY (Black-Type), $1,000,000, Al Rayyan, 2-20, 4yo/up, 2400mT, 2:30.65, gd.
1–NOOR AL HAWA (FR), 128, h, 8, Makfi (GB)–Majestic Roi (G1SW-Eng, GSP-Fr, $346,585), by Street Cry (Ire). O-Al Wasmiyah Farm; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited; T-George Mikhalides; J-Alberto Sanna; $570,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Ger at 7-9.5f, Hwt. Older Horse-Qat at 9.5-11f & 11-14f, MGSW-Ger, GSW-Fr, 33-15-6-5, $2,595,878. *1/2 to Majestic Jasmine (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), SW-Ger.
2–Berkshire Rocco (Fr), 126, c, 4, Sir Percy (GB)–Sunny Again (GB), by Shirocco (Ger). (€35,000 Wlg '17 ARQDEC; €50,000 Ylg '18 GOFORB). O-Berkshire Parts & Panels; B-SAGL Seserve; T-Andrew Balding; J-Jason Watson; $220,000.
3–Hellenistique (Fr), 126, c, 4, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Hasturianita (Ire), by Dubawi (Ire). (€130,000 Ylg '18 ARQAUG; €56,000 HRA '20 ARQNOV). O-Injaaz Stud; B-Haras d'Etreham; T-Zuhair Mohsen; J-Ronan Thomas; $110,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, NK, HF.
Also Ran: Aspetar (Fr), Standard Deviation, Off He Goes (Aus), Pedro Cara (Fr), Otwo, Masterpiece (Fr), Quelindo (Ger).
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.
