Group 3 DIAR International Stakes for three-year-
olds with the promising Methgal. Later on the
program, Conchita D.A won the Group 1 Jebel Ali
Racecourse Za’abeel International Stakes for older
sprinters and Bayan won the Group 1 Shadwell
Arabian Stallions Hatta International Stakes for
fillies and mares.
Newbury Racecourse, about an hour west of
London, has been a destination for Gazwan in the
past. He won the 2015 Dubai International Stakes,
which at the time was his first major stakes win.
Later that season, Gazwan was second the Qatar
Arabian World Cup at Longchamp Racecourse in
Paris, Europe’s top race for Arabians. In 2016,
Gazwan won the Group 1 Emir’s Sword in Qatar,
that country’s top race for Arabians.
The following year, Gazwan won the Group 1 Gold
Sword in Qatar, an important end-of-the-season
race in April, and the Qatar Arabian World Cup, run
at Chantilly that year. For his accomplishments,
Gazwan was recognized as the second-leading
horse of 2017 based on ratings by an international
panel of experts.
Last year, Gazwan shared the honor of top-rated
horse with Fazza Al Khalediah, who won the Qatar
Arabian World Cup. Gazwan was at his best in
Qatar in early 2018, winning the Emir’s Sword and
Gold Sword in consecutive starts.
Earlier this year, Gazwan was third in the Group 1
Amir Sword and second in the Group 1 Gold Sword
before Smart’s stable left for the European summer
and fall season. With those performances in his
recent past, Gazwan was the favorite in a field of
seven in the $70,700 Dubai International Stakes at
Newbury, which was run at 2,000 meters, or
1¼ miles.
Ridden by Olivier Peslier, Gazwan raced in the
middle of the field for the first half of the race.
Peslier moved Gazwan into second with a quarter-
mile to go and took the lead deep in Newbury’s long
stretch. Quickly, Gazwan moved clear to win by six
lengths over Melabi (Dahess x Quinquinna by
Kesberoy). Peslier won the race for the third
consecutive year.
Melabi, a four-year-old owned by Al Shaqab
Racing and trained by Thomas Fourcy, began his
career in France earlier this year and has shown
potential in his early starts.
The first two may meet again. Smart is planning
one or two races for Gazwan in France in
September and October, with the main goal being
the $1.12 million Qatar Arabian World Cup at
Longchamp on October 6. The $112,000 Prix
Dragon at Longchamp on September 15 is a
possibility. Those are the sort of races that play a
massive role in the year-end rankings.
BAYAN (Munjiz x Mowafaka
by Tidjani) won the $42,700
Group 1 Shadwell Arabian
Stallions Hatta
International Stakes on
July 28 at Newbury for Yas
Horse Racing Management.
Bayan is trained by Frederic
Sanchez and was ridden by
Ioritz Mendizabal.
AHW > 109 < 08.19
sharon
(sharon)
#1