Mohammed & Abdulla bin Fahad Al Attiyah

2022 Gulf Festival Special - Mohammed & Abdulla bin Fahad Al-Attiyah

Munir Du Soleil wins HH The Amir Silver Sword in 2021

©QREC

After the success of Munir Du Soleil in the 2021 HH The Amir Silver Sword, the brothers Mohammed and Abdulla bin Fahad Al-Attiyah are looking forward to this year’s HH The Amir Sword Festival. They also have their sights firmly set on more international competition and are continuing to invest in developing their breeding programme.

Having always taken an interest in racing, initially as a hobby, they soon realised that they needed to move on, to race locally was not enough, they wanted to be competing on the global stage. Visiting the international races, they saw what they needed to do to get to that level, and began by starting their own breeding programme, under the banner of MBF (for Mohammed bin Fahad) and investing in young racehorses with good bloodlines.

Though their horses race in different silks, they see themselves as a team, which also extends to their first cousins at Al Wasmiyah Stud, whose focus is on thoroughbreds. As Mohammed explains: “We are like one team, working together. There is also no rivalry between my brother and I. When the time comes to select horses to run in our colours, we discuss it and choose which ones we like, we are not competitive between ourselves, it is all for the family.”

Discussing sourcing their horses Mohammed says: “We look at all the sales, mares, foals, everything, but we also go to the trainers every year. We take around two to three months in Europe, just going around each trainer looking at all the horses, to see the next generation and what might be suitable to buy.”

With Munir Du Soleil, Abdulla takes up the story saying: “We were at Thomas Fourcy’s and saw him in training. Before his first race, we bought fifty percent and we said to Lisa [owner-breeder Lisa Deymonaz] that we need to see how he runs, if he did something special, then we would buy the remainder.”

On his debut, he finished third by less than half a length. The winner, HM Jalfane, also trained by Fourcy was purchased as well. Munir Du Soleil went on to win the Listed PA Prix Ourour, beating subsequent Doha Cup (Gr1PA) winner, Soko that autumn. Impressive in the Silver Sword, winning by three lengths from a quality field that included the Group 1PA winner Hadi De Carrere, he returned to France. In the Sheikh Mansoor Festival Prix Dormane (Gr3PA) he was beaten a nose by UAE President Cup-UK Arabian Derby (Gr1PA) winner Abbes, with the future Qatar Arabian World Cup winner Hoggar De L’Ardus a length and a quarter behind in third.

Munir Du Soleil boasts an excellent pedigree being by leading sire Munjiz, out of Rahab, herself a daughter of Al Hanoof, making her a full sister to General and to another top racehorse and subsequent top producer, Al Dahma. He was bought in utero at the Arqana PA Sale in 2016 by Deymonaz and her husband Pierre, who along with the bin Fahad Al-Attiyah’s, board their horses at the Haras du Saubouas in the South of France.

Of this arrangement Mohammed says: “If in the future, we had a horse good enough to be a stallion, for example if Munir Du Soleil progresses, then we would stand them at stud in France. So far it is going well, boarding our bloodstock in France, they foal there, get broken in and also go there for their time out of training, but why not in the future to have our own private stud, it’s a possibility.”

Discussing their bloodstock Mohammed comments: “We have around 25 to 30 Arabian broodmares. As far as youngstock goes, I think now, after this foaling season we will be close to 80. We have a big selection of mares, so of course we are always looking to try and cross with the best bloodlines, to give every mare a chance. We focus on the best stallions and have used horses like Mister Ginoux, Al Mourtajez and AF Albahar.”

Continuing Abdulla says: “We are always searching for the best young mares to add to the group, we recently bought four from the Shadwell consignment. I want the best for the Arabian horses, we had Coeursamba [winner of the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches last year] so of course I like thoroughbred races, but it is shame that Arabian horses are not valued like thoroughbreds when they win pattern races. This is something that needs to change.”

He considers embryo transfer to be part of the problem, saying: “I don’t want to do embryo transfer, I hope by stopping this, it should improve the value of the Arabians, as four or five embryos in a year is a shame. I believe it lowers the horses’ value. If a mare has problems, then ok, but just one embryo transfer. It should help the value to go up.”

Celebrating Munir Du Soleil's HH The Amir Silver Sword win in 2021

©QREC

They are pleased with their first crop to race which includes the four-year-old fillies, Sahab and Thi Qar. Sahab, won on her debut in France and was placed in two other black type races before finishing second by a head in the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches (Gr 1PA) at Saint Cloud for Fourcy. She then left for Doha and was a good second in the Qatar Derby (Gr3PA) for three-yearolds to the very smart Moshrif (winner of the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains). On her latest start Sahab won the HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy for four-year-olds and they are hoping she will emulate Munir Du Soleil at the Festival.

“Sahab will go to the Silver Sword,” says Mohammed. “So hopefully we can win it for a second year in a row. Afterwards she will have a short break at the Haras du Saubouas and then she will return to Thomas Fourcy for a summer campaign.”

Image Du Croate (1st, pink cap) Monda (3rd, black cap) and Sahab (2nd, silver cap) in the 2021 Qatar Trophy des Pouliches (Gr1PA)

© Debbie Burt

She will be joined in the race by Monda, who was purchased after finishing third in the fillies’ race at Saint-Cloud, and Thi Qar who won Qatar Oaks for three-year-olds in December. Mohammed explains: “Thi Qar raced in France in my jacket, but in Doha she is in the silks one of my young cousins. After the Silver Sword she will also go to France for a break and then be back in my colours in the care of Xavier Thomas Demeaulte for the European season.”

Sahab and Thi Qar are both daughters of AF Albahar who so far has had an excellent season in Qatar. Sahab is out of Manella, a Dormane daughter of Ballade Folle, a great family that has produced the Group 1PA winners, Dahor De Brugere, Mahess Du Soleil and Amyr Du Soleil. Thi Qar is out of the Tahar De Candelon mare Clairvoyant, dam of the dual black-type winner Sniper de Monlau who was twice Group 1PA placed on the turf and dirt in the UAE.

HM Jalfane, has a different agenda. Having won on his three-year-old debut, he followed up in the Prix Cheri Bibi (Gr3PA) and then went out to Qatar in the autumn of 2020, joining Alban de Mieulle. He finished runner-up in the Qatar Derby (Gr3PA) going on to be fifth to Munir Du Soleil in the Silver Sword. He bypassed a European campaign, and this season has won two conditions races, including the four-year-old Derby Trial and impressed when winning the HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani Trophy on his most recent start. He now heads to Saudi Arabia for their Festival, where he will represent the family in the Al Mneefah Cup.

If he runs well, he could continue his international campaign in the Kahayla Classic followed by a break in Qatar. Also with further international aspirations is Djafar. He had finished third in last years’ Silver Sword and was purchased in the autumn, joining Gassim Ghazali, in whose care he has won the Arabian Guineas for four-year-olds, though has disappointed since. Of his form Abdulla said: “Djafar had setback, we found he has a few issues after the last race, however we expect he will be back for the mile Group 1, the Qatar International Cup. If he runs well, he would be considered for the Qatar International Stakes at Goodwood.”

HM Jalfane wins the HH Sheik Joaan bin Hamad Trophy for Purebred Arabians

©QREC

After their holidays at Saubouas, Sahab and Thi Qar will take in a black type campaign in Europe, with the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Juments, the four-year-old fillies Group1PA held on the Saturday of Arc weekend at Longchamp an obvious target. Munir Du Soleil could go to the Gold Sword or possibly to the Kahayla Classic and later on, to the Qatar Arabian World Cup.

Al Shaamikh and Daniel Muscutt after winning at Wolverhampton in 2020

© Debbie Burt

They’ve also had horses in training in the UK, in Mohammed’s colours, though unfortunately in 2020 when the programme was curtailed by Covid. Al Shaamikh was unbeaten in both his starts and Toufan Du Croate was placed, but further involvement with horses trained in the UK would depend on the races on offer. Mohammed comments: “However for sure we will come for the best races like Goodwood, where we would hope to have a couple of runners.”

Of the general situation at home Abdulla says: “I’m pleased we are racing three days a week, with the addition of the new track, as the horses that weren’t good enough to do well at Al Rayyan now have a chance at Al Uqda. Also it gives more options, as some are better on a straight track, others are better going round a bend. There is also a big difference between the dirt at Al Uqda and Al Rayyan, it suits different types of horses.”

Both have ambitious aims for their domestic racing. Abdullah wants to see others follow their path by investing in the quality of their runners to raise the overall standard saying: “With the incentive of the Saudi Cup prize money and the ability to race anywhere in the Gulf now, the market is moving again and getting stronger.”

They also acknowledge that the countrys’ focus is currently more on football than it is on horseracing, but Mohammed is optimistic concluding: “In the next couple of years, we could see something really huge with horse racing in Qatar. If we can build a new track, something really special for international competition and work towards a Qatar World Cup for horseracing, that would be the goal.”

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