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Gazel T wins the Arabian race
for the second year running

Spring had at long last come to Sweden for the running of the first Gr3 (P/A) race of the season. Caused by a rather sharp track at Jägersro, The Wathba Stud Farm Cup is run over the odd distance of 1730 meters and is part of the tremendous effort and worldwide sponsorship of HH Sh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi puts into promoting the Arabian purebreds. Qatar is also generously sponsoring races in Sweden through the Qatar North European Arabian Racing series. This latter sponsorship aims to enhance the breeding in the minor European countries and the race is restricted to horses below Group class.

The winner of the Qatar NEAR Spring Mile at Täby, Stockholm just two days before the Group race certainly was that, as it was he's first race ever. A full brother to the unlucky Sweet Dauphine the 4-y-o Big Ben (Daffaq - Sweet Kiss /Volpone) made mincemeat of an opposition of mostly older horses, and firmly put himself on top of the list of Derby hopefuls.

The Wathba Stud Farm Cup traditionally shares the card with Pramm's Memorial, which is the best paid handicap on dirt in Europe, and a string to other good races for the English thoroughbreds. The good racing on this day, May 7, often tempts horses from abroad and the Dutchman Gazel T came to win the Arabian race for the second year running.

As a 4-y-o Gazel T (Prince d'Orient - Gracja /Eukalyptus), ridden by Eduardo Pedroza, had shown a very nice turn of foot to win from Pentagon (Marwan) and Ameretto (Amer) with the former English Derby third  SR Dorwan (Marwan) in fourth place. 

Gazel T was to meet Dorwan again this year. The danish raider is joint highest rated in Scandinavia, but had been laid off for almost a year nursing an injury. Gazel T was also up against the two rising stars Al Asad (Asad Saif) and Ghallab (Chndaka) not to mention 2012 champion Al Dahis (Sheridhan).

Wheras Gazel and Dorwan made their first appearances for the season; the three homeys had met in the Jägersro Opening Sprint a fortnight ago where Al Asad had seen them off with disdainful ease in a pillar-to-post victory.

According to Pedroza who partnered the winner to victory, Gazal T deserves all credit. “He’s an honest and keen performer who has jumped above the difficulties which he has encountered as the race has progressed in the home straight. He didn’t break well, but managed to fight courageously when it mattered in the crucial stages and won gamely. I have won with this horse last year at the same venue, and he has improved a lot since then,” he confirmed.

This time, however, Al Asad popped slowly and never really got into the race. Sanovagan was all the more eager and led to the top of the final bend, where Dorwan and Ghallab put on the pressure on either side of him with Gazel just behind their kick-back. Coming into the short straight Sanovagan had dropped out, but Gazel was crowding the heels of the two in front. He found himself short of room on the inside of Dorwan and Ghallab only seing daylight between the two inside the furlong marker. When he did, he again showed a decisive turn of foot and crossed the line half a length in front of Dorwan with Ghallab a further length in arrears. Al Asad managed fourth place with five lengths to spare over Al Dahis in fifth.

On behalf of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan miss Lara Sawaya presented the trophy to owner-breeder and trainer Gerard Zoetelief and will be back in Sweden for the HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Stockholm Cup (Gr3 P/A) and the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies IFAHR Cup in September.

Text and photos: Nills Rosenkjaer