Doha: The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)-sponsored Qatar Goodwood Festival continued to showcase thrilling racing action at the Goodwood Racecourse, UK, yesterday, with Opera Singer securing the prestigious Qatar Nassau Stakes, a Gr.1 contest for 3-year-old and older fillies and mares.

The festival, sponsored by Qatar, is being held for the 10th consecutive year, with Qatar Tourism, represented by Visit Qatar, renewing the multi-year partnership with Goodwood Racecourse effective from next year. The partnership continues the successful collaboration with QREC over 10 years since 2015 with the inaugural edition of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Day 4 of the festival takes place today with several thrilling races on the card at the prestigious racecourse.

Opera Singer back to her best in Qatar Nassau Stakes

The races of the Qatar Goodwood Festival continued yesterday with nine races. The feature was the Qatar Nassau Stakes, a Gr1 for 3YO+ fillies and mares over 2000. Runner-up of the Gr.1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on her last outing, the three-year-old Opera Singer (Justify) continued to progress by landing the Gr.1 contest, bouncing back to winning ways since she won the Gr1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac on the Qatar Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe day last October.

Jockey Ryan Moore (left) guides Opera Singer to Qatar Nassau Stakes victory.

Owned by M Tabor, D Smith, Mrs J Magnier & Westerberg and trained by Aidan O’Brien, Opera Singer is now a dual Gr.1 winner.

With Ryan Moore in the saddle, the Ballydoyle filly was fast away from the stalls and made all. Half a length ahead of Lumiere Rock (Saxon Warrior) entering the final straight but clear of the rest, the superb filly never looked in danger despite the late challenge of See The Fire (Sea The Stars) who finished second.

The French raider Sparkling Plenty (Kingman) was an eye-catching third, clocking the quickest final furlong.

“We were very confident she would stay,” said the winning trainer, Aidan O’Brien after the race. 

“She started late in the Irish Guineas. She was not quite there on ground that was slow on the day which was not going to suit her. She ran a super race at Ascot and she won the Boussac over a mile last year, staying on very well.”

Bred by Mrs E Stockwell, she is out of Gr.3 winner Liscanna (Sadler’s Wells), who is a daughter of Listed winner Lahinch (Danehill Dancer) and a half-sister to Gr.3 winner The Bogberry (Hawk Wing). She is also a half-sister to Gr.1 winner Hit It A Bomb (War Front) and Gr.1 winner Brave Anna (War Front).

H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al Thani, Ambassador of Qatar in the UK, in the presence of QREC Chairman Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, presented the trophies to the winners of the day’s feature event.

Also present on the third day of the Festival were, Asian Equestrian Federation President and QREC Vice Chairman Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al Attiya, QREC Acting CEO Bader bin Mohammed Al Darwish, QREC Board Members Khalifa bin Mohammed Al Attiya and Ahmed bin Mohammed Alabdulmalik, QREC Racing Manager Abdulla bin Rashid Al Kubaisi, QREC Director of Support Services Ahmed Al Sheebani, and QREC Public Relations & External Communications and Marketing Director Salem Khejaim Al Adbi.

There are seven races on the card today, and the feature will be the Gr.2 King George Qatar Stakes. Thirteen runners were declared to run, including the Listed winner Rogue Lightning, owned by Wathnan Racing; Group 1 winner in Santa Anita (US) Big Evs, presented by Michael Appleby; recent Group 2 winner Believing, who will run in the colours of Highclere T’Bred Racing; as well as Jasour, winner of the Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes Gr.3 at Royal Ascot.