Editor’s

While watching the latest racing in the GCC,

I felt a complete shift of energy. After
summer, it seems that racing is finally
resetting, as the newest 2YO and 3YO come

Note
through to the tracks to prove their mettle
against the more tried and tested lot.

The Bahrain International Trophy was a

revelation with Saeed bin Suroor taking EVEREST DIARIES
home two trophies.
MAGAZINE
Quality and quantity have returned to the
UAE tracks with the capital’s turf track
hosting its biggest meeting of the season,
highlighted by the Group One AED 5 million
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel
Crown.

In this issue, we speak to four trainers

racing in the UAE about their plans for the
season.

Enjoy Reading THE TEAM

Pallavi Editor-in-Chief: Pallavi Shevade

Senior Journalist: Nitin Konde

Shevade Editorial Planning Manager: Archana Bansode

Editorial Associate: Ramzy Abdul Kalam

Design & Mkt Manager: Ritesh Jamkhedkar

Data Associate: Sonali Ambekar

Assistant Publisher: Pareekshita Bhat

Advertising Sales Manager: Ishan Pandey

Editor-in-Chief
 CONTENT
TF 2 2022

EDITOR'S NOTE 3

THOMAS FOURCY PLANNING AHEAD 9

FOR THE GCC RACING SEASON

DARREN BUNYAN'S GIGANTIC 2023 15

OBJECTIVES

A DISCUSSION WITH JEAN DE 24

COVER: SAEED BIN SUROOR WALKING 24 ROUALLE, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS
WITH DUBAI FUTURE AT AL AL SAKHIR
RACE COURSE NAMES IN HORSE RACING

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FEATURE
Thomas Fourcy / Thomas Fourcy

THOMAS FOURCY PLANNING AHEAD FOR

THE GCC RACING SEASON
“"Horses make you who you are; our role is to
shape them in a way that allows them to express

the best of themselves."

An unstoppable force in Arabian horse training,

Thomas Fourcy has made his mark on the sport
of kings.

He led Hadi De Carrere to win the US$2 million

Arabian feature race in Riyadh on the Saudi Cup
undercard while his other star 6YO, Lady
Princess, won the Gr.1 Qatar International
Stakes, the prestigious Gr.1 HH The Amir Sword,
and the Jewel Crown.

Lady Princess' Success Story Thomas Fourcy’s

victory at Goodwood racecourse was especially
memorable as Lady Princess defeated three
Qatar Arabian World Cup winners, Ebraz, Tayf,
09 and Hoggar de l’Ardus.
 He has won over 2000 Group One races, with another forty wins in Group One and many more
in Group and Listed Company.

Last season, the Frenchman saw his two runners finish first and second in the largest race meet
in Abu Dhabi, the Jewel Crown.

In Group 1, his two runners—LLady Princess and Hoggar De L’Ardes—ccame home first and
second in the $1.36 million event.

"They were the two highest-rated horses on the field, and they were also winners of Group 1
prizes, so we were hopeful," Fourcy told the media.

With Jim Crowley on board, Lady Princess came home late to beat her stablemate under Maxime
Guyon by three lengths.

Last season saw him prepare three runners, with the third being Hadi De Carrere, who ran third
in the Dubai Kahayla Classic and saw Fourcey take $4.3 million in race earnings for the season.

2022-2023 GCC Racing Season

"The winter objectives will be the same as last year, starting with Abu Dhabi with Lady Princess,"
Fourcy said.

This year, the 6-year-old has won four Group One races, including the Qatar International
Stakes and the Qatar Arabian World Cup.

"The mare has recovered very well from the World Cup; she is in great shape."
"She is extraordinary, and travelling does not bother her." In February, she will go back to Doha
for the Emir's Sword to try to win the Triple Crown.

Thomas Fourcy is proud of his stable star, Lady Princess, as he should be from her
performances to date.

"She arrived in training as a new 3YO. She was at the Haras du Saubouas with Paul Basquin, who
had bought her from Mr. Bellot on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Deymonaz.

"She had made a pleasant winning start and was spotted and bought on the same day by Mr.
Gérard Larrieu on behalf of Sheail Bin Khalifa Al Kuwari.

"She is a small mare with great strength and, above all, a big heart. She has her own character,
but she is quite easy to train.

"She is a classy mare. "As long as she is fit and healthy, she will give her best on the track."
The trainer will take the four-year-old Af Albahar-Manella runner Sahab, as well as No Tear Al
Maury, to Doha for the derbies in December.

10
 In Fourcy's stable, Hadi de Carrere is a
crown jewel.
This season, Hoggar de l’Ardus and Lady
Princess will race the Emir Sword at the end
of February. Hadi de Carrere will prepare in
France in January and then go to Saudi
Arabia at the beginning of March and to
Dubai at the end of March.
"Hadi De Carrere represents my training and
Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari's.
"He showed great ability as a 3YO, and so we
did not race him as a 4YO." We have
preserved him for the big races. He
confirmed his superior skills when he won
the Obayia Classic in Riyadh.
"He is a horse with a lot of action; his
toughness and willingness show that he is
not bothered by the projections."
"He is a horse made for dirt; he will have the
same programme as last year."
The stable can count on these stable stars
after Group One winners Tayf and Khataab
were retired following the Qatar Arabian
World Cup last year.
Thomas Fourcy respects the quality of
horses his stable has to contend with but
knows their ability and, with his marquee
training, understands that they can remain
competitive.
"The other competitors in the races are
quality horses, and some of them are surface
specialists, but I have confidence in my
horse."
Growing up on a farm in the north of France,
Fourcey used to race ponies in the apple
orchards with children from neighbouring
farms, which was the beginning of his love
for the animal.
"Unfortunately, my father died when I was
ten years old, and my mother could not
continue the farm on her own, so I had to
choose a path."
11
"I loved horses and speed, so when I was 14
years old, my mother enrolled me in the
AFASEC school, where I learned the jockey
trade."
He recalls starting his apprenticeship with Mr.
Deroualle, the master trainer.
"I was rather tall, so Mr. Deroualle
recommended me to Guillaume Macaire, a
jumping stable.
"I then joined Arnaud Chaille-Chaille's
training as a jockey; this is where I discovered
Arabian horses."
The biggest inspiration
"Above all, someone who changed the course
of my professional life was Hassan Mousli, a
breeder and owner of Arabian horses who
encouraged me to become a trainer in 2013."
He will admit he has come a long way in his
training journey, and that at the end of the
day, the equine stars he gets to work with are
a great motivator for the stable’s success.
"I think my inspiration comes mainly from my
horses." I was lucky enough to train
exceptional horses very early in my career,
which allowed me to take on challenges that
gave me confidence.
"My greatest daily pleasure is to see my horses
evolve in training."
"I enjoy getting them ready and taking them to
competitions and have had great joy in many
races because I have been lucky enough to
train several great horses." Everyone is
different in character and background, and
you have particular affinities at different times
in your life as well.
 "If I had to remember one race in particular, I would say the victory in Doha in the Grade 1 H.H.
Amir Sword (2015) with Al Mourtajez, owned by His Excellency Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani
and bred by Hassan Mousli."

"It was a great first prestigious victory abroad for me, and Mousli had such a large influence on
me early on, so it was very important." "Winning the big races gives me a lot of joy."

"The owners also had a lot to do with helping me succeed." They pushed me to the limit
sometimes, but knowing my horses and understanding their condition helped me accept
challenges that I would not have dared as a young trainer.

"His Excellency Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani wanted to see Mister Ginoux and Al Mourtajez
run in the major events in Doha in the second year of my installation as a trainer in 2015.

"We won the two Group One matches, and that gave me the confidence to prepare for other big
events."

Development of Racing in the Middle East

He is a great advocate for racing and the increased opportunities for racing throughout the
Middle East.

"The development of major races in the Middle East has presented an opportunity to travel to
represent French training and breeding, which is a great thing."

"We are fortunate to have very good-age horses to compete in the premier events, and we are
supported and encouraged by our owners."

"The competition from abroad is increasingly good, and it is interesting to compare our French
horses with those from other countries."

Team with Hadi de carrere and Lady Princess / Thomas Fourcy

14
 Darren and his dogs checking the going at Curragh Racecourse / Darren Bunyan

DARREN BUNYAN'S GIGANTIC 2023

OBJECTIVES

With the year coming to an end, multi-group

winning Irish trainer Darren Bunyan shares his
reflections on the transition to a new yard and
his plans for J.J. Jumbo in Dubai.

"This year has been a bit of a transition." We've

moved to a new yard. We probably have one of
the best yards I have ever come across. The
facilities are fantastic here.

"It's been like a building process for us and the

horses, as well." A lot of our older horses have
gone on to second careers, and we have a large
number of yearlings brought in this year with
some new owners. Moreover, some existing
owners have reinvested in yearlings.

"It looks like we are going to have our biggest

number of 2-year-olds next year. There is an
awful lot to look forward to. We probably have
the nicest bunch of yearlings that I can
remember.
15
 "There is a lot of excitement around the yard at the moment." "Everybody has been looking
forward to next year very much," he said.

The Jumbo Moment

With many new horses lined up to train at Bunyan's stables, there is one particular talk of the
town: a chestnut colt called J J Jumbo, for whom Bunyan has high hopes.

"If he were a human, he'd be your best friend." Everybody who meets him loves him. He's a
character in all ways. He's a beautiful horse to work with; nothing seems to ever phase him—he's
just a really solid horse.

"Last winter was a work in progress with him going to the carnival." I sent him out mainly for
the climate, and I've always believed that he's a horse that will go on the dirt, which is unusual
for a European horse and particularly with his breeding.

"I was 100% sure that J.J. (Jumbo) would go on the surface even though he hadn't run on it, but he
developed a huge amount during the last carnival with the climate being to our benefit.

"When he came home, I gave him a short break, but we had one of our best summers in years,
and he went from a really good climate in Dubai to a really good climate here." "He is a pure
powerhouse now," said the Irish trainer.

Winning on home ground

The William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap win at Dundalk over 7 furlongs was very
memorable for the softly spoken Irishman. However, Sultan Saeed Mohammed Harib Alfalahi's
3YO hasn't been delivering the expected wins, finishing tenth at Dundalk recently.

"He's just been out of luck the last couple of runs he's had." That's racing for you. Not everything
works every day.

If you go back to his run in France, that was a huge run. It must have appeared insane to send
him to France.but he beat them just the same.

"He went out and he really stepped up." He was only caught near the line that day. He's won in
Ireland, which is one of the most competitive countries in the world for racing, so he's able to
back up good runs.

"As I say, every horse has its day." When things didn't go right for him on his last day of racing,
even though it was a good run, he was defeated. It was a run, but we didn't see the real J.J. at all
onRedzel
the night. "Everything has to fall your way, or it will cost you at the finish line," said Bunyan.
/ Punters

17
 J J Jumbo after finishing 3rd at Meydan 2022 / Darren Bunyan

J.J. Jumbo Visits Dubai

The trainer is no stranger to racing at Meydan, having brought many horses to Dubai in the past
decade.

"J. J. Jumbo is aimed at just three races so far. He will stick to the dirt this year when he goes out
there.

"There's a beautiful programme for him there this year." The races are well spaced, and
everything seems to have fallen into place.

"I am very sure he'd be strongly competitive out there this year," said the Irishman with quiet
confidence.

Bunyan Wishes For An Easy Victory In Dubai

The competition and the pressure at the carnival can be taxing, and with so much strategizing—
from what horses to take to considering potential riders, such as Robert Whearty or others—
Bunyan has a lot on his mind.

"The opposition, if you could get them all to stay at home and let us just run, that would be great!

19
 "There are a lot of things to factor in." It's a big responsibility for people who go there and look
after these horses. They do a fantastic job out there. I always fly ahead of any horses we send. I
love seeing the horses arrive and seeing how they have travelled. For me, that's very important.
If you stay at home, it could be the wrong thing to do at the time.

"Safe travel is one of the most important parts of a horse's journey." "It sets up the whole
Carnival—how your horse has travelled and what you do with him going forward from there,"
said the handler who has travelled to Champions and won on the top racecourses in the world.

"You know every jockey in the world gets it wrong at some stage, but Rob seems to get things
right a lot more." "The owner, Sultan, and myself, we'll obviously talk about it before then."

Speaking of J.J. Jumbo's owner, Sultan Saeed Mohammid Harib Alfalahi, he said, "He is a very
enthusiastic and knowledgeable owner and breeder who loves his horses." He's from Dubai and
is a great owner to have in the yard. He's been a good friend. In addition to J.J. Jumbo, he also
has some gorgeous yearlings with us for the coming year. "We're very much looking forward to
having a big year of success for him next year as he grows his operation internationally."

In discussing his plans for the carnival, Bunyan reveals that there is more to J.J. Jumbo's career
than currently meets the eye.

"J. J. is a horse that I believe will be competitive in the carnival." He could run in other countries.
We're not just aiming for the carnival; there's a big international programme for horses like him.

"J. J. likes to jump and travel; he's a six- to seven-furlong horse." He has a huge amount of speed
when he gets out and gets going. He's a hard horse to pass when things go right for him.

Darren with his team at Curragh gallops / Darren Bunyan

20
 Similar to Father, Similar to Son "I'd love to be chasing big winners all over the
world, and I think maybe 60 to 80 horses
The passion for the King of Sports grew as would be enough," he said.
the multiple Group and Listed race-winning
Irish trainer watched his father train as he
Going down memory lane
grew up.

"I was very proud of Hit the Bid the night he

"My dad worked in racing for over 60 years. I
won in Dubai. It was a race that meant a lot to
spent my childhood out in the stable yard,
and I have never been interested in anything me as a small trainer going up on a stage like

else than horses. I was glad when I got to the that. When you stand back and look at the
age that I could leave school and spend all stands, it was amazing. I couldn't speak more
my time out in the yard rather than just highly of it.
mornings, early mornings, and late evenings.
"Another race memory I cherish is with my
"I suppose I have never known anything else; brother. My brother and I went to
they have always fascinated me." You could Cheltenham one year with a horse that I had
never get bored when you're around a horse
bought for him. He won the St. Patrick's Day
because every day is different. It's a process
Derby at the Cheltenham Festival. He rode
that you will never finish learning. You could
the horse for cancer research. My dad had
work in racing for a hundred years and still
passed away from cancer many years
learn something new every day until the day
you die with them."I've always loved them," previously. We won the race on the same day
said the trainer, reflecting back on his with the whole family present. "That meant a
career. lot to me."

The victories yet to be had For the globe-trotting Irish trainer, Darren
Bunyan, his passion for the sport is evident,
Bunyan has a number of iconic races in mind but what sets him apart from other trainers is
to win over the next decade.
his attention to detail, his love for the
experience, and of course his connection with
"I'd love to win any race on World Cup
each horse.
night."That would keep me happy. One race
I've always had in my head, mainly because
no European trainer has won it, is the
Kentucky Derby. I would love to have a horse
for that.

"But really, in any Group I tournament

worldwide, I would be very keen to give it a
shot, but with the right horse." Erica Rasmussen photography - Darren and
wife Gillian with Hit The Bid at Meydan /
Darren Bunyan

21
 Jean De Roualle / Al Jazeera Stables

A DISCUSSION WITH JEAN DE

ROUALLE, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS
NAMES IN HORSE RACING

“I feel alive every morning - If one day you have

to wake up early and I say it’s boring then I have
to go to the track again as it’s time to end it!”
Humble and massive in character, Jean de
Roualle is one of the largest personalities in the
horse racing industry, and in two months he will
celebrate forty years of training himself.

He spoke with Ten Furlongs about his four-

decade career and what he has planned for the
future.

Even without a family history in horse racing, the

passion for horses came at an early age, as the
trainer told us.

"We have been around horses since we were

very, very young—I always had an interest in
them," de Roualle said.

"Not specifically in horse racing, but we had been

riding since we were four years old. "All horses
24 get my interest—polo,
 show jumping, hunting horses, which my
dad had, and racing, of course."
After his one-year duty in the army, as is the
requirement in France, he would decide to
study at university while he eased into the
racing world—where passion truly lies.
He would go on to complete his disciplines
in business and economics before being
given the option of either working for a
company in Paris or going to the United
States to pursue the horse racing industry.
De Roualle would choose the latter, to the
disappointment of his father, but it is a
choice he will never look back on.
"He was extremely disappointed! He had
great expectations for me; I did not know
what he thought. If I were to become the
President of France or something like that,
"Instead, I went to muck stables for two
years in Kentucky.
"I went to Kentucky, and I worked on two
farms (Bedford and Spendthrift). At Bedford,
I was taking care of brood mares and the
breeding section.
"At Spendthrift, I was in charge of four
stallions, so I learned about all the best
pedigrees in the world and the best horses in
the world—this pushed me to come back to
Paris."
Arriving back home, he started at one of the
largest and most well-known training
centres in France, the Chantilly Training
Center, becoming an assistant to the
legendary late trainer Francois Boutin for
four years.
25
"After that time, he came to me and said it
was time to get my own training licence," a
memory that brings a smile to de Roualle’s
face on reflection.
He would receive his first licence on January
1st, 1983, and he recalls the fact that he has
been in this industry and successfully training
consistently for such a long time.
"In two months, I will have been a trainer for
forty years—can you believe it?"
With this experience, he has learned much
along the way, and some of those lessons have
been not only for the horses he trains but also
personal lessons for himself.
He places significant importance on the need
to introduce his runners to the racetrack
early and sees it as an education that is
imperative for any horse that he receives.
"Arabic horses are new to me; I discovered
them seven years ago when I came to the
UAE. For my entire life, I have been training
thoroughbreds. But, whatever the horse is,
education, or schooling when they are young,
is the foundation.
"Thirty years ago, for financial reasons, only
trainers used to bring yearlings to school
them to do the whole job and get them ready."
Now they send their young horses to the pre-
training centre to prepare them because
training fees are extremely high all over the
world, but you need to run your business.
"I think pre-training is important to school
the horses, but it takes more than that." I feel
people make mistakes because they think that
for a cheap price, they can have their horse
ready to run, and it simply does not work that
way.
 "If you overrun, you are in a hurry, and you will make a mistake and ruin your chances with the
horse."

With a career that has seen him train 37 Group One aircraft, including seven of those in the UAE,
his lessons are important.

Caerlina won the Prix de Diane (the French Oaks) in France, the country's first classic race for
fillies, in 1991, eight years after obtaining his training license.

"That was massive for me as it was my first Group One, and it helped me a lot in my career."
Although he is proud of his career, he does not like to pick favorites, as he sees it as unfair to all
the others that have been and will be under his guidance in the future.

"I never like to compare horses; some people ask me who the best horse I ever trained was, but I
don’t think it is nice to give a name." Forty years after getting my license, I am sure horses go
faster than they used to, and when you see horses like FlightLine winning the Breeders Cup, I
am certain that the athletes have changed.

"Although I must admit, I don’t know why mostly fillies have been more successful for me than
colts, and I have had some amazing fillies." Queen Maud won three group races in France and
won in Hong Kong on International Day.

One horse that he has spoken fondly about is Satwa Queen and what she did for his career after
winning a Group One in 2007, the last he won before leaving France for the UAE.
"Well, she was a marvellous mare!

"Satwa Queen’s owner was living in Dubai and the UK, and he named her Satwa Queen because
at that time he was living in Satwa in Dubai.

Richie Mullen and Jean De Roualle at Al Ain / Al Jazeera Stables

27
 "This filly won this last group one, which was the Prix de la Opera on Arc Day. We had a
marvellous time and a lot of fun with her going to Hong Kong and going to the Breeders Cup.
"She won five group races, including two group ones."

The move to the UAE from France came after three attempts to persuade him to relocate, and it
was widely publicised at the time.

"My major owner at that time had a lot of horses with me, but he stopped racing for personal
reasons, and my other owner passed away." I still had around fifty horses in training at that
time.

"I must be honest with you and say that I did not have a positive attitude or feeling about the
future. Will I be able to find somebody who is able to find or breed nice horses?
"Because if you don’t have the opportunity to find great horses, training average horses is
boring, my friend," the master trainer says, vulnerable and humble but understandably aware of
what he brought to the table with his multitude of experience and successes.

"We wake up very early in the morning, and it's a lot of hard work." You have to be passionate—
all trainers will tell you that. And at the same time, they contacted me.
"They came to see me in France three times and made propositions to me, and it was hard for
me at the time because I had a lot of staff at the time, so I had to think about everything and
everybody in my team."

"I had to get everything organized, and finally the third time they came prepared, and I said yes
because what they proposed to me, I could not refuse."

"It was a new adventure for me, and honestly, it would have been silly to refuse."
The adventure led him to being the lead trainer for His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al
Nahyan in a region that held such respect and passion for the sport on a scale that de Roualle
was unaware of.

"That was one of the most exciting things about the decision because I knew the potential that
His Highness had as a breeder and what kind of horses I could get."

"Honestly, I only knew about Dubai and the carnival in Dubai; I did not know Abu Dhabi or
Arabian horses—so I had to learn and adapt myself to that."

"The prize money is big, and it is very exciting, but there is one thing that is specific to the
Middle East, and that is the season is extremely short." In Europe, we used to say,

28
 "Let’s give a certain horse some time and run
them in the spring or for a certain carnival."
You cannot do that here.
"If your horses are not ready by the end of
October, it is going to be very tough! "You
cannot miss the season."
He holds great respect for His Highness,
given the fact that he was not required to
change his training method and that he had
such a great working partnership with the
manager of the stable.
"Well, I didn't change my training style, to be
honest with you. Maybe I work them less
hard than I used to train thoroughbreds; you
have to respect them when they are young.
"The manager for His Highness' racing
activity throughout Europe and the UAE—we
became friends and worked hand in hand.""I
like the attitude and atmosphere between us
because it works very well this way."
He describes the difference between the
thoroughbreds he has trained throughout
his career and the distinct Arabians he now
trains in the UAE.
"With Arabian horses, when they are three
years old, if you push the red button too
early, you find yourself in trouble because
they are not ready."
"These horses really get better and mature at
five; I have been told by more experienced
people than myself that if you run a four-
year-old too many times or only once
against aged horses, you can destroy this
horse." So, all these things, even though I
made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, I
adapted myself to.
"They (Arabic horses) fascinate me!"When
they say yes, it means no, and when they say
no, it means yes; they are a bit more
complicated to train.
"But with the horses that His Highness is
sending me, the quality is getting better
every year."
30
Lately, with horses like Loraa, Rmmas, and
Somoud, I have been very lucky to win four
President Cups in a row in six years of
training.
"Each year is new for me though—I have some
prospects for this season."
Throughout his career, de Roualle has learned
what is truly important in the industry outside
of winning and finding the next big star on the
track.
"This industry is one of humility." I have seen
in some sports people that they have a period
of time when they do not win races, but when
they do, they act like Napoleon and are better
than everybody. You must stay humble
because you never know what tomorrow
could bring.
"I was a stupid, arrogant guy when I first
started, but I know with my experience and
hard work I am now no longer arrogant.
Tomorrow is another day, and we had a
beautiful start last week with four runners,
three winners, and one place, but we don’t
know what next week or the next will bring
us, so we have to remain modest and humble."
"I will tell you one thing—when you have a
period of time as a trainer when you are not
winning races, number one, your wife is not
talking to you anymore, which is a problem,
your friends don’t call anymore, and
everybody thinks you are no good.
"You suddenly win a race on a small track in
the middle of nowhere, and your average
horse who is a champion in your eyes, and
this gives you all of a sudden the energy when
you're driving home on a long, boring road
that I fall asleep on every time.""You feel
excited, and there is no little or big race—that
is the way I see it."
 When discussing prospects for the upcoming season, de Roualle admits the upcoming campaign
will centre around one or two, but looking to the future gets him excited.

He currently has 36 horses in training, a number that de Roualle is happy with.

"Well, I don't have any older horses; I've got Somoud. He has already won three Group One titles,
including two President Cups.

The eight-year-old, sired by Munjiz and out of Wadya, will run next in the Jewel Crown.
"He will meet the best Arabian horses in the world there."

"Behind him, I have two children, four and five years old, and I have lots of expectations for
them." The two 5YO are called Muraqib and Dareem; they came late last year to me from France,
and both won. I have one four-year-old who came to me only this year called Hakkum, who ran
and won earlier in the month.

"The rest of them in my stable are three-year-olds, about fifteen to twenty of them." "I have a
large crop at that age, so I am really starting fresh for the first time since I have arrived here."
From his team of three-year-olds, he spoke highly and exclusively to us about one of them, in
whom he sees a potential future star.

"He could be a star, I think, but we must be very careful and patient with him." He will run on
December 2, and his name is Faisal. He is the full brother of three Group One winners:
Mabrooka, Joudh, and Rmmas.

"He is a beautiful horse, and the way he is working, he seems to be my best three-year-old. Let’s
wait, but I have great expectations for him."

Having turned 69 this year, he still has endless passion, motivation, and drive to keep winning
and showing that with experience, humility, and those other attributes, there is no expiry date
for what the great trainer Jean de Roualle can do in the sport of kings.

"If you have to wake up early one day and I say it's boring, I have to go to the track again, it's
time to stop—you'll get very bad."

"There is no age limit for this; I believe that the more experience you have, the better it is, like a
good red wine."If you like competition as much as I do and have the energy and passion that
comes from being around horses and your staff, you will be able to perform.

"As long as I wake up with that every morning, I will keep going; if I ever feel the opposite, like I
am bored, I will stop."

Peter and Paul Snowden / Peter Snowden

31
Pharitz fFahr trained by Okbah Aashour / Okbah Aashour

OKBAH AASHOUR FIRMLY BELIEVES IN,

“QUALITY OVER QUANTITY & BUILD AS
YOU SHOW SUCCESS.”

The Sharjah-based, Pharitz training stable

owner, Okbah Aashour, following on from a
minor success of 4 placings from 26 runs last
year in the 2021 – 2022 season, hopes to take on
the bigger stables with 10 quality horses this
season.

Okbah Aashour Couldn’t Have Asked For A

Better Season For Aashour, it’s not an impossible
task. “I had this experience in the UK in 2014. I
only had eight horses, and thankfully, I had eight
winners. Each horse won for us that season.” he
said.

“That is not easy to have eight horses and for all

of them to be a winner. You can have two
winners or three winners, (from eight horses)
but to have eight winners, it's not easy believe
me.”

34
 Planning Ahead For The UAE Season With A
Stable Of Ten Horses
“We are going to build it up ourselves step by
step because the horses need staff. You can
find people easily, but you cannot find the
experience.
“When you have good staff then you can add
more horses to your stable.
“To focus right now, we accept to have just
ten horses this season and for next season,
we have a better plan, a stronger plan.”
“I have two horses that are Thoroughbred
and the rest of them are Arabian.
“One of the thoroughbreds is very good
quality and he is doing better than last
season. We sent him to Saudi Arabia and he
did very well.
“But when he came back, he was in really
bad condition, so he did not race very well
here. This season after resting here he is
back to doing his best. I think he will go back
to being a Group or Listed race-winning
horse.”
His stable has in the past included names
such as Pharitz Al Denari, Major Cinnamon
and Trancaferro and the horse he referred to
as returning to form in African Power - who
is one of two remaining racers from his
stable this year.
“All the other horses currently in this stable
are new – they just arrived this season.”
Aashour spoke positively about the high-
quality horses that were recently sent to him
to train.
“Our stable is now small because we don't
have that quantity - we don't look for big
quantity, so we try to find the quality always.
“That is why I'm very lucky to have horses
bred by top owners in the region.”
35
Aashour’s Passion - A Family Affair
His love for horses and his desire to be a
trainer began and grew as part of a family
affair.
“We have had horses in our family since we
were born and so we grew up with horses,”
Ashour said.
“My brother was a jockey, and he was here
working with the Millennium stable and now
he is a trainer also. My uncle was with
Millennium stable also and now he is training
in Saudi Arabia.”
The UK-based stable, Pharitz, he runs as lead
trainer in partnership with his wife.
“We are training Arabian horses there and we
have done very well since 2011 until now.”
His focus in training begins when his runners
are young and builds from there to ensure
they can sustain success and racing careers
long term.
“We always try to start very slowly with the
babies to get them strong enough very
carefully to do for us very well for a longer
time.”
International Transport – A Daily Affair
Travelling and moving horses between
countries and continents has been something
the trainer has learned to make easier for
everybody.
“I started to move our horses from place to
place in 2011 shifting horses to run in Oman
when I was in the Emirates.
Okbah Aashour / Okbah Aashour
 “We went to Oman, and we won the biggest race there. After that in 2013 in Europe, we started
to move horses from the UK - the first one was for the Gr.3 President’s Cup.

“After that I opened the gate to Europe and raced in Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Sweden,
France, and Italy. We even ran third in a Group One in Turkey and placed fourth in Morocco.
“So, we are happy to move the horses from anywhere to anywhere for the nice races.”

Racing In The UAE

“We bought a horse at Arqana auction that nobody wanted and he became a Group One horse
for me and now a breeding stallion.

“The horses are almost ready to race in UAE and we look forward to many successes this season.
“I had one horse who did not like racing in UAE and was rated only 45. I sent him back to UK and
he became for us a 113-rated Group-winning horse.

“UAE just does not suit some horses and likewise some horses do not like the turf in UK,” said
the experienced trainer Aashour has plans to begin racing on the Sharjah track before the year
is out. “The horses are almost ready to race in UAE and we look forward to many successes this
season. This season, just like any other trainer, we hope that we can win on Dubai World Cup
night,” he said.

Making The Most Of The GCC Racing Season

With stables in the UK and the UAE, Okbah spoke highly of racing in the Middle East but said
that no matter where he raced his starters the focus remained the same.

“As a horseman, there is not that big of a difference because it is still competition. And in
competition nothing is different.

“Some things have to be taken care of like in the GCC like training early in the morning or late
afternoons.

“Now we see races in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the rest of GCC. It is really nice if you have good
horses, you can be busy all season,” he said.

Trancafarro trained by Okbah Aashour / Okbah Aashour

38
 Saeed Bin Suroor Receiving the Bahrain International
Trophy with Danny Tudhope on the side. / Megan Ridgwell

REVIEW: SHEIKH MOHAMMED’S

OPERATION SECURES 1-2 IN GR.3 BAHRAIN
INTERNATIONAL TROPHY FEATURE
Godolphin’s Dubai Future edged out stablemate
Passion And Glory close to the wire providing
Godolphin with a 1-2 in the Gr.3 Bahrain
International Trophy (2022).

The Saeed bin Suroor-trained duo were

prominently placed throughout the 10-furlong
contest, with Passion And Glory tracking Magny
Cours in second and Dubai Future disputing
third down the inside rail.

Magny Cours kicked for home in the straight as

Passion And Glory and Dubai Future laid down
strong challenges to join the long-time leader
entering the final furlong.

Dubai Future found a small opening under

Danny Tudhope about half a furlong out, enough
to see off his rallying stable-mate for a three-
quarter length success. Riocorvo took third near
the line, a head in front of fourth home Magny
40 Cours.
Bahrain International Trophy (2022) / Megan Ridgwell
 Saeed bin Suroor said: “We have tried to win this race for the last two years and it’s a good result
for Godolphin to have the first and second.

“Dubai Future has improved a lot this year, winning at Royal Ascot, and he looks better
physically and mentally compared to 12 months ago. We felt that he was the right horse to come
back here and he ran a big race.”

Danny Tudhope added: “Godolphin had a strong hand in the race and I am delighted that won of
them won – thankfully, it was me! I was hopeful with Dubai Future. His last run at Newbury
wasn’t too bad and he likes fast going.

Bahrain International Trophy (2022) / Megan Ridgwell

43
Dubai Future led by Godolphin Trainer, Saeed Bin Suroor
Credit: Megan Ridgwell

Dubai Future edged out Passion And Glory provided Godolphin with a 1-2 in the G3 Bahrain International Trophy
Credit: Megan Ridgwell

Bahrain International Trophy (2022) / Megan Ridgwell