• Home
• /
• Horse Racing

Raqiyah takes honours

Raqiyah, Olivier Peslier in the saddle, won the fifth round of the HH the President of the UAE Cup series for Purebred Arabians at Ascot Racecourse here on Saturday.

Having partnered Harbinger to the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes Group-1 glory at the same venue early in the afternoon, the Frenchman claimed his second Group-1 victory less than 45 minutes later.

Jockey Olivier Peslier said: “She made me happy. She was always going well and showed great turn of foot when she was asked the question. I think the ground suited her very well.”

Zayin Barakaldo and Joybell led the field at a steady pace, but the French jockey wisely settled the mare in a good five lengths off the pace. And although Raqiyah broke from stall one, Peslier carefully shifted the Amer daughter to the centre of the track very sweetly before he found his way through in the closing stages.

“She raced keenly and did nothing wrong all the way,” the French jockey noted. Towards the final two furlongs, Aziz pushed forward under Richard Mullen to take the lead. Raqiyah soon slipped between him and the fading Zayin Barakaldo and powered down the straight for a comfortable win.

“I had her when I wanted,” Peslier said. “I got her off the pace and she relaxed well. Winning two Group-1 events on the same is something great,” he concluded.

However, the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes day at Ascot was by all means the UAE day at the Royal venue.

Toolain, ridden by Philip Robinson, delighted his trainer when landed the Jaguar XK Winkfield Stakes (Class-1) Listed, the second meeting on the eight-race card.

The Diktat colt had an unfortunate start of his racing career when unseating his rider while was about to win his maiden last time out.

But, the Shaikh Ahmed bin Rashid-owned juvenile made amendments when scoring at Wolverhampton, before he was entered to the Listed race which was seen by the observers as a big jump in class.

In the third race, Ryan Moore rode Soraaya to beat the mount of Hayley Turner, Margot Did, in a titanic clash close home to win The Princess Margret Abu Dhabi Stakes (Class-1) Group-3, the third race on the card to make it two out of two for owner Shaikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Richard Mullen, who was been given the task of pacemaking for Sir Michael Stoutes pair Workforce and Harbinger in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, led Don’t Call Me in the colours of Shaikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum to a stunning victory in the Dubai Duty Free Handicap Stakes (Class 2), the fourth race of the afternoon.

Top weight Yashrid came from the back seat to put his head first in the Canisbay Bloodstock Handicap Stakes (Class 4), the final meeting of the day.

hisham@khaleejtimes.com