Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire)

Jaber Abdullah's Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}--Danega {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) took five attempts to add to last term's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains heroics, doing so in March's Listed Prix Altipan at Saint-Cloud, and suffered another three reversals before regaining the winning thread in Sunday's G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines at Chantilly. Marhaba Ya Sanafi, whose only prior visit to this right-handed venue yielded a third in last term's G1 Prix du Jockey Club, went postward for this coming back off a sixth in ParisLongchamp's May 26...

Jaber Abdullah's Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}--Danega {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) was scoreless in four starts since annexing May's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and regained the winning thread in this seasonal return. Last term's G1 Prix du Jockey Club placegetter settled third along the fence through halfway, but slipped one spot rounding the home turn. Coming under pressure approaching the quarter-mile marker, he went second entering the final furlong and was ridden out to deny long-time leader Topgear (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths nearing the...

French Classic winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) heads a total of 60 entries for the $1-million Bahrain International Trophy, which has this year been upgraded to Group 2 status and is set to be run on Friday, November 17. The list of international challengers features horses from eight countries, including France, Germany, Britain and Ireland, with 38 group winners among them. Other notable entries include Godolphin's dual Group/Grade 1 winner Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Horizon Doré (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}), recent winner of the G2 Prix Dollar, G2...

Shadwell Stud's Champion Sprinter Muhaarar (GB), who has stood the last two years at Haras des Faunes in the south of France, will now be owned by Shadwell and a consortium of French breeders and will be moved to Haras du Petit Tellier in Normandy, according to Eric Puerari. Puerari said that Muhaarar's stud fee would be announced at the end of the year. The group of breeders is comprised of Jean-Pierre Dubois and several generations of his family, Haras des Capucines, Haras de Saint-Pair, and several others. Sheikha Hissa...

Twelve months ago, Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was using Deauville's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois as a springboard back to the big time having suffered a shock reversal in the G1 Falmouth S. This time around, the John and Thady Gosden-trained homebred is in Normandy attempting to make up for another defeat having been bogged down in Goodwood's unexpectedly tacky surface in the G1 Sussex S. As she had shown when disappointing in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on Champions Day, easy...

Ecuries Serge Stempniak's hitherto undefeated Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}--Absolutly Me {F}, by Anabaa Blue {GB}) posted a third straight win when annexing last month's Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly and returned to that Paris venue for Classic glory in Sunday's €1,500,000 G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club. Preceding his black-type breakthrough with impressive early-season wins at Cagnes-sur-Mer and Bordeaux-Le Bouscat, the 19-2 chance extended trainer Jean-Claude Rouget's record to six wins in the contest after defeating 17-10 favourite Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) by an impressive...

Chantilly offers its riposte to Epsom's Derby jamboree on Sunday as the 183rd edition of the G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club welcomes France's new star of the middle-distance division, Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). Initially slow to develop into the barnstorming character he has become, Yeguada Centurion's homebred would be an emotive winner for Christopher Head in the week that his beloved grandmother Ghislaine passed away. Introduced this year by Head in this track's Prix du Chene des Trois Freres handicap on the Polytrack in February, Big...

Following a draw conducted live in Epsom's hallowed circle, a final field of 14 has been confirmed for Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby. Ballydoyle number one Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) has pulled "lucky" stall 10, still the most beneficial draw in Derby history having housed Shahrastani, Reference Point (GB), Nashwan, Quest For Fame (GB), Generous (Ire), Galileo (Ire), Sir Percy (GB), Ruler of the World (Ire) and Masar (Ire). Chief market rival Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will exit from next door in nine, while leading contenders Passenger (Ulysses...

There was a surprise in store in Sunday's G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains as Jaber Abdullah's Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}--Danega {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) edged out Isaac Shelby (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) to provide his owner-breeder and trainer Andreas Schutz with a red-letter day at ParisLongchamp. Sitting handy in fourth early under Mickael Barzalona, the relative of Galileo's luminary Soldier Of Fortune (Ire) who was second to American Flag (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the course-and-distance G3 Prix de Fontainebleau last month surrendered first run to...

With Ballydoyle's Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) and Juddmonte's Halfway Line (GB) (Zoffany {Ire}) missing from the line-up for Sunday's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau, Malcolm Parrish's American Flag (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Tres Americanqueen {Fr}, by American Post {GB}) occupied pole position for ParisLongchamp's time-honoured course-and-distance trial for the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and he did not disappoint with another sharp display. Gaining a following with a six-length win over a mile at Saint-Cloud in November and a smooth three-length success in the Listed Prix Omnium II over the...