16 June 2019
Photo scoopdyga.com
The Qatar Arabian 4yo Derby (Gr1 PA), one of the most prestigious races of the European Purebred Arabian (PA) calendar, became the exclusive province of the PA horses which carry the Yas Horse Racing Management label, and for this read the stable of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This follows the victory of the Ioritz Mendizabal-ridden Hayyan (Munjiz) which was gained at the main expense of two other PA horses in the same ownership, Deryan (Mahabb) and Kanaan (Sarrab).
Hayyan also enabled Frédéric Sanchez, the former jockey turned Pau-based trainer, to enjoy his first success in a PA prestige race.
The race
What connections said
Thierry Delègue (Racing manager of Yas Horse Racing Management, the stable responsible for the first three home)
“I’m not going to hide the fact that Deryan was our number one hope. However, we have always held Hayyan in very high regard. He’s a horse of delicate disposition which explains the use of the hood. He also has a lot of raw speed. The main difficulty with him is getting him to relax. However, granted the presence of a pacemaker, and a true run race, the conditions were to prove ideal for him. On this occasion, he managed to get a breather before unleashing his turn of foot which is a pretty impressive one. We weren’t sure that he had the required stamina to stay beyond 1.600m, but he proved that he had the ability to do this, in a race run at a true gallop, which is another feather in his cap. His jockey even had to restrain going to the final 350m, as he was travelling with any amount in hand. Our two other runners, Deryan and Kanann, both ran well. We will mull matters over before deciding where they go next. In any case, we have a great crop of four-year-olds which reflects the exceptional quality of our breeding operation. We couldn’t hope for a better result. You must take great care not to ask too much of these horses too soon, but we had staked a lot on the outcome of this Gr1 PA race. The season is a long one for these horses whose future is very much ahead of them.”