QATAR PRIX DU CADRAN - Caballo De Mar, king of the marathon, gives his young English trainer George Scott his first Group 1 victory
The English favourite Coltrane (Mastercraftsman) did not waste time on tactics in the Qatar Prix du Cadran – the most famous "marathon" race in France, held on Saturday at ParisLongchamp racecourse. He took the lead from the start and set a steady pace until the entrance to the straight (which explains the very modest time, for a race held on this ground). At that point, we thought that when he would restart, it would be hard to take the advantage from him… but the English horse Caballo De Mar (Phoenix of Spain), who was racing outside of him, quickened sharply and made his move for the victory, which would prove decisive. The two horses battled all along the straight, but Caballo De Mar’s dominance could not be contested by Coltrane.
Further back, the Irish Queenstown (Galileo) finished well to claim third place.
The winner is trained by the young English professional George Scott, based in Newmarket, who has had great success in France. He notably won the Critérium de l'Ouest, a prestigious Listed race for 2-year-olds at Craon.
This is George Scott’s first Group 1 victory (the highest level of racing).
The official result
QATAR PRIX DU CADRAN
1st CABALLO DE MAR (Tom Marquand)
2nd COLTRANE (Oisin Murphy)
3rd QUEENSTOWN (Christophe Soumillon)
Time: 4'34''74. Margins: 1 1/4 – 1 3/4 – Neck.
Quotes from connections
George Scott, trainer of Caballo De Mar (1st), England
"This is a very special day for me and my team. This is our first Group 1 win! I’ve been training for ten years. We’ve had plenty of Stakes winners, but no Group 1 winners until now. Caballo De Mar is such a special horse, with a huge heart and a golden temperament. He is so relaxed in a race! Everything went as planned: he likes to be ridden in the leading group. Tom Marquand rode him brilliantly. We saw in Germany that he handled soft ground well. The year might not be over for him. We’ll see how he recovers. There’s the Long Distance Cup, the Red Sea Turf Handicap in Saudi Arabia... When we saw how many were left in the race, and knowing the horse was in great form, Sheikh Nasser gave me the green light to supplement him."
Anna-Lisa Balding, wife of Andrew Balding, trainer of Coltrane (2nd), England
"That's him, he's retired now. He's going to go out on that. He's had an amazing life, he's 100 per cent sound. He's loved his racing and now it's time to go and do another job. He's going to stay with us and become our hack, it'll be lovely. His stable is ready for him. It's another great run and we're delighted. He always runs with his heart and that was another one."
Hermine Bastide, representative of Coolmore in France, owner of Queenstown (3rd), Ireland
"We’re thrilled with his performance. He was running just a week after his last race, and he still delivered. The ground suited him well. With a bit more pace, he might have finished better. He was running close together, so we’ll now see what Aidan O’Brien and his team decide for the next step."
QREC, the official partner of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The QREC was established in the early 1960s before achieving official recognition in 1975. It is mandated with representing, promoting and advancing equine and equestrian initiatives, from grassroots programmes to the international arena. Focused on equestrian sport and horse welfare, the QREC is dedicated to promoting Qatar as a world class hub for horse racing and a leader in the Pure Arabian breed.
The QREC works in collaboration with local bodies dedicated to achieving excellence in planning, regulation and the development of Qatar’s racing industry to reflect the world's best practices. The QREC has been partner of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe since 2008, and from 2022, it also became the title partner of the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, one of the most important races for the selection of the breed.