Al Mourtajez ‘unbeatable’ says Alban De Mieulle and ‘neither of my horses have his class’

Leading Purebred Arabian trainer Alban De Mieulle has revealed that neither of his two horses that followed home Al Mourtajez at Chantilly on Sunday will renew rivalry in the World Cup in three weeks.

Trainer Alban de Mieulle says Al Mourtajez is 'unbeatable' ahead of the €1 million World Cup at Chantilly, France on October 2, 2016. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National
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Leading Purebred Arabian trainer Alban De Mieulle has revealed that neither of his two horses that followed home Al Mourtajez at Chantilly on Sunday will renew rivalry in the World Cup in three weeks.

Al Mourtajez continued his march through Europe’s biggest races with a thumping win at the French racecourse, which will stage the €1 million (Dh4.13m) contest on October 2.

Majeed and Dubai Kahayla Classic runner-up TM Thunder Struck were left trailing in the wake of the Al Shaqab runner, with Majeed a full seven lengths back and his stablemate a neck behind.

Tough to pick favourite as Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe field is wide open

“The winner is unbeatable,” De Mieulle said. “He is an exceptional horse. Neither of my horses have his class. Majeed is an honest horse and did what he could. TM Thunder Struck pulled a little but I think the 2,000m at Chantilly is too long for him.

“I don’t think that they will run in the Qatar Arabian World Cup, as they won’t have a chance of winning. But we have to enjoy watching a horse like Al Mourtajez give such performances. He is a great advertisement for Arabian racing.”

De Mieulle has twice won the World Cup, which is the second most valuable race on the day behind the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but is now unlikely to have a runner in the Group 1 contest.

Elizabeth Bernard has said several times that she does not think Al Mourtajez can be beaten, but will once again roll the dice with President Sheikh Khalifa’s Sir Bani Yas, who finished third to Al Mourtajez at Goodwood in July, set to take his chance.

Three horses who finished down the field in the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi in November have been entered for the Group 1 President Of The UAE Cup at Churchill Downs on September 24.

RB Frynch Broad finished eighth, RB Rich was 12th and Paddys Day was 15th in Abu Dhabi’s €1.2m event and the trio featured among 15 for the US$100,000 (Dh367,260) contest that will be staged over 1700 metres.

The fallout to Chantilly’s Arc trials day continued yesterday when Irish trainer Dermot Weld confirmed that Harzand, the dual Derby winner owned by the Aga Khan, would take his chance in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Harzand was struck in to in the Irish Champion Stakes won by Almanzor at Leopardstown on Saturday. He was lame afterwards but the son of 2009 Arc winner Sea The Stars has not required antibiotics and will resume training on Monday.

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