A formality for HM Alchahine as he retains his Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon title
Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon
Race summary and quotes from the winning connection
A formality for HM Alchahine as he retains his Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon title
Reserved for Purebred Arabians, the Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon (Group 1, the highest level of racing) went to Hm Alchahine, who had already won the race in 2025. He subsequently finished second in the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Group 1), behind the untouchable Al Ghadeer, who has since been retired from racing and is now a stallion.
Trained at La Teste by Elisabeth Bernard, Hm Alchahine, as he did last year, very easily dominated his rivals. Sent into contention on the far outside, he already had the race won halfway down the straight and scored by four lengths from Geneva. Shayeg, another length and a quarter behind, completed the podium.
Hm Alchahine, who carries the colours of Helal Alalawi, now looks the favourite for the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Group 1 PA), the world championship for Purebred Arabians, which will take place on 4 October at ParisLongchamp, on the same day as the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Group 1).
Official result
Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon
1st HM ALCHAHINE (C. Demuro)
2nd GENEVA (T. Marquand)
3rd SHAYEG (A. Madamet)
Time : 2’17’’9. Margins: 4 – 1 1/4 – Short head.
Reactions from the connections
Elisabeth Bernard, trainer of Hm Alchahine (1st), La Teste-de-Buch (Gironde)
I have rarely seen a Group race run at such a slow pace. It is always quite worrying. Fortunately, Cristian Demuro (his jockey) made his move early, because a horse with a big stride like Hm Alchahine needs a little bit of time to lengthen. And he took the right initiative early enough. His owner has just given me some good news: he is sending us a pacemaker from the Emirates. (…) I will never be completely relaxed because that is not in my nature. But we have to bear in mind that today’s field, without wishing to disparage our rivals, is well below the level we will face on World Cup day, which is normal. There is an extraordinary mare called Chdia, who wins all her races in the same way as this horse. So the clash is going to be interesting. She is very, very good, but she is not the only one. There is also Lippo de Carrere, who beat this horse in Doha. There are going to be some very good horses.”
François Rohaut, trainer of Geneva (2nd), Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
“Geneva will probably run in the big race. And if the ground were to change, she could spring a nice surprise because we know she is much better on soft, or even heavy, ground. And there are some who do not like that very much! So I am praying for plenty of rain over Arc weekend. She showed that as a three-year-old. She won the fillies’ race before being demoted for a whip offence. She proved it again last year when she won the Group 1. And again this summer at La Teste, where she beat Mureb, who is a good horse. She is a genuine Group 1 mare. She has everything going for her. She has the pedigree, she has the physique, she has the heart. She is a lovely mare. What she has done today is terrific. She is tenacious and very confident. She comes from a family of fighters. Those fillies never give up.”
Jean de Mieulle, trainer of Shayeg (3rd), Morannes-sur-Sarthe (Maine-et-Loire) and Qatar
“Shayeg has run extremely well. He has really progressed between his comeback and today, and we have to keep in mind that he is still very inexperienced. He has practically no experience at this level, so to see him being so competitive and holding on to third place is obviously very encouraging for the future. As for the distance, I really think 2,000 metres is his absolute maximum. On the other hand, he possesses a quality that is fairly rare among Purebred Arabians: he is capable of producing a very strong sprint. There are not that many of them who can show genuine acceleration over a short distance, and he can do it.”