Al Mourtajez a sure thing at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club: ‘He is just a beautiful horse’

There is something comforting in the likelihood that the grey Purebred Arabian Al Mourtajez will sweep to victory in the Group 1 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Sunday night.

The lifeblood of compelling sport is competitiveness and rivalry, but so far nothing in Europe has been able to hold a candle to Al Mourtajez, the favourite for the €1.2 million (Dh4.4m) race. Barring something surprising he should win.

The six year old has won his past four races with a breathless ease and he capped his season in Europe with an emphatic success in the Qatar Arabian World Cup last month in Chantilly.

It is almost inconceivable that Al Mourtajez will lose, such is the outrageous ability he has shown since he was pecked and harried into defeat in Qatar last year.

The result is barely in doubt, but that does not mean we cannot derive pleasure by just sitting back and marvelling at his impending bravura performance.

“It does not matter what discipline you are in, if you see an animal dominating his division and getting better each time it is wonderful to watch,” said Harry Herbert, racing manager to owners Al Shaqab.

“He is just a beautiful horse, and when you talk to people heavily involved in the Purebred Arabian world they get very excited.”

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There is every reason to be. As far as Purebred Arabian racing is concerned, he is box office.

Admire his raking stride that eats up the ground and gives him the tremendous weapon of real pace that is rarely seen in this sphere of racing.

Admire, too, his ability to race either by dictating matters from the front and pulling his rivals out of their comfort zones early on, or, as he showed for the first time on the same card as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, he can now sit in behind and stalk his prey under regular partner Julien Auge.

“He got a lead early on so in Chantilly so he wasn’t doing all the work on the front end, which really suited him,” said Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, Herbert’s French equivalent.

“In fact Julien got the perfect position.

“He is a much more straightforward ride these days. It is not like when we ran a pacemaker to teach him how to settle at Deauville in May.”

If Al Mourtajez does have an Achilles heel it is that he is not at his best over the 1,600-metre distance, but it is all relative.

He beat a strong field in the Qatar International Stakes at Goodwood in July on his first attempt at the distance.

Sunday’s race has attracted 15 rivals and has all the hallmarks of being a stronger race.

Auge is unconcerned though, and believes stall five is perfect for his mount.

“He is the best,” said Auge, who has ridden him in all but one of his 16 career starts.

“He is an exceptional racehorse who has plenty of speed for this 1,600m, but also stays 2,400m well.”

Al Mourtajez has improved since his win in the Arabian World Cup.

He has travelled well and settled in to his surroundings in Abu Dhabi.

Everything that has been seen of Al Mourtajez has been impressive, and given his current form, anything less than another impressive victory display in this evening’s race will be a surprise.

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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?

The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.

The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.

He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.

He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.

He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.

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Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer