Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed's Hattal tastes success at Longchamp

Yas Horse Racing Management's ride clinches Group 1 prize for Purebred Arabians

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed’s Yas Horse Racing Management tasted success in Paris with Hattal. Wam

Godolphin runners Parchemin and Philomene failed to make an impression at the French Guineas meeting but Yas Horse Racing Management of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, celebrated a Group 1 prize for Purebred Arabians with Hattal at Longchamp on Sunday.

Parchemin could finish only fifth in the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (2000 Guineas) while Philomene suffered her first defeat in three starts when finishing seventh in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (1000 Guineas).

Aidan O’Brien’s St Mark’s Basilica, under Ioritz Mendizabal, produced a strong late run to clinch the Classic prize for the colts but the Irish trainer was denied a double when Mother Earth was beaten by Jean-Claude Rouget’s Coeursamba, ridden by Christian Demuro, in the fillies equivalent.

“It's a pleasant surprise,” Rouget said of the Wow Signal filly that had won only a maiden in six previous starts.

“I knew she had quality and she had already shown me the double acceleration that the good horses have.

“After that I really didn't know. She could have been fighting for first or eight, it looked a very open race.”

St Mark’s Basilica presented O’Brien with his sixth French 2000 Guineas after a strong late run to win from Colosseo and Breizh Eagle a length and-a-quarter and short neck.

“I got a bad start, maybe it was the long time since his last race, but after the corner he took a good position,” Mendizabal said.

“He was relaxed so I waited and for me he could go further, maybe the Jockey Club. He's a French-bred horse, the distance is perfect and riding for Aidan makes the job easy.”

Hattal stretched his winning streak to four from five starts when coming home a convincing winner of the €100,000 President of the UAE Cup run over the 2,000-metre distance.

Mendizabal, who landed the 2000 Guineas earlier at the meeting, produced the son of the 2008 Dubai Kahayla Classic winning mare Mizzna with a well-timed run to win from Melabi.

Trained in France by Xavier Thomas Demeaulte, Hattal was landing his third Group 1 prize. His success was in a Group 3 after finishing runner up on his racecourse debut.

On Saturday, Paddy’s Day completed a hat-trick of the President of the UAE Cup, the first of the 15-race series staged around the world.

A winner of two races at Meydan, the 10-year-old son of Burning Sand bagged the $100,000 Grade 1 prize at the 146th Preakness meeting at the Pimlico racecourse in Baltimore, USA.