Late move pushes Sir Bani Yas to victory lane at Goodwood

Goodwood, England// Abu Dhabi’s Sir Bani Yas powered to an emotionally-charged win in the inaugural Qatar International Stakes for Purebred Arabians here on the rolling downs of Sussex on Saturday.

Ridden with supreme confidence by Frenchman Jean-Bernard Eyquem, the grey son of Amer came through with a late thrust to deny Dutch challenger Prada T and fellow French raider Mister Ginoux in the silks of Sheikh Khalifa, President of the UAE.

Sir Bani Yas won the Qatar Derby last year but was without a success this season in three starts, having been trained by Elizabeth Bernard, the widow of trainer Jean-Francois Bernard who died in May.

Chocking back tears, Bernard dedicated the win to her late husband, who she was married to for 31 years.

“It is difficult to speak, but this is a big tribute to my husband,” she said. “This horse is his work. Now he is not here, but I have done exactly as he told me – I haven’t changed anything.”

The Qatar International had attracted runners from Qatar, Oman, France, and the Netherlands due to the injection of prize money that resulted in Britain’s most lucrative Purebred Arabian race being run for a purse of £400,000 (Dh 2.3 million).

The 1,600-metre race acted as the first leg of the new Qatar Triple Crown. Sir Bani Yas is being aimed at the second leg, which is the Qatar Arabian World Cup at Longchamp in October.

“I am not sure where he will go next, and I will make a decision in the next 10 days,” Bernard said. “I will let the horse tell me, but Longchamp is definitely the target.”

Earlier in the day, Andrea Atzeni was left ruing what might have been after Lady Of Dubai finished out of the placings in the Nassau Stakes won in emphatic fashion by Legatissimo.

In what developed into a rough race behind the smooth winner, Lady Of Dubai had her path blocked in a pincer movement involving Silvestre De Sousa on Arabian Queen and William Buick on Jazzi Top just more than 200 metres out.

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s filly finished fifth.

“It’s what happens at Goodwood and you are drawn one,” Atzeni said. “I slightly came off the rail and William kicked on up my inside. With a better run, I might have got a place. The winner looked very good, though.”

Legatissimo had not won in two starts since her victory in the English 1,000 Guineas in May under Ryan Moore.

After that race, she had lost narrowly in both the Irish Oaks and the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes, but she clearly has a tough constitution and she made light work of her rivals under Wayne Lordan to win by two-and-a-quarter lengths from fellow Irish filly Wedding Vow and Arabian Queen.

Cape Verdi and Balanchine winner Cladocera was fourth.

“She has everything,” said Lordan, the winning rider. “It was misfortune that she lost out by a short head on her last two runs, but when I asked her to quicken she did so well up to the line. She has everything.”

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