Having a made a serious splash on Europe’s major stages, the Emir of Qatar’s team now have a legitimate Breeders’ Cup Classic contender in the US after Subsanador’s thrilling victory in the $1m California Crown
On the eve of Europe’s showcase Qatar-sponsored Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting in Paris, the nascent Wathnan Racing stable have given notice of global ambitions that might astound even the most cynical observers charting their fast track to the top.
The Emir of Qatar’s colours will not be carried in the Arc itself – they rely on Fallen Angel in the Prix de l’Opera as their key hope in France – but the emergence last weekend of Subsanador as a serious Breeders’ Cup Classic contender is an emphatic underlining of Wathnan’s intent.
Saturday’s California Crown, over nine furlongs at Santa Anita, was a good test of the Argentine champion. Sent out by Richard Mandella, Subsanador responded to a brilliant Mike Smith drive to outgun National Treasure and Newgate in a thrilling three-way battle for the $1m contest, with a head and a nose separating the trio on the line.
Case Clay, Wathnan’s racing advisor in America, reports Subsanador to have come out of that gruelling slugfest in good order and on target for Del Mar on November 2. “Hopefully, he continues to train well and the thought at the moment is to give him a shot at the Classic,” he reports. “It was a ‘Win and You’re In,’ and we are in.
“I thought Mike Smith gave him an incredible ride. It was a dogfight, and Subsanador showed fight right at the end,” adds Clay. “He got his neck down on the line. We are very excited. The thought prior to Saturday was let’s try this race and if he can’t get the distance, then let’s try the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.”
Subsanador was one of five proven horses sourced by Clay for Wathnan as the stable continues its expansion in the USA, where they have 13 horses in training – and also purchased 14 yearlings at sales at Saratoga and Keeneland.
Clay was given a specific brief with the tried stock, as he relates: “The thought was to try to buy a dirt horse that might be able to get to a level where he could hopefully be successful in the Middle East, in races such as the Dubai Cup or Saudi Cup, and work back from there. Two turns, dirt, was really the focus.”
Subsanador now looks an inspired choice. The son of Fortify had won seven races in Argentina, including three G1s, then shipped to California, where he ran two nice races for John Sadler, which included a close second in the Santa Anita Handicap.
“He had shown improvement in each of his races in America and he was just a horse we thought had potential to improve,” Clay explains. “Richard Mandella has got to know the horse. His first run for Wathnan [fourth in Hollywood Gold Cup] was disappointing but every time I have heard from Richard after the horse has breezed since, he has been positive.”
The Brad Cox-trained Hit Show made it a memorable day in America for Wathnan when landing the G2 Lukas Classic over nine furlongs at a sloppy Churchill Downs, but Case says it is unlikely the four-year-old will go on to Del Mar.
“He’d been running some good numbers – he was fifth in the Derby and fourth in the Belmont,” Clay explains. “His speed figures were sneaky good and he’s by Candy Ride, who gets horses who typically show improvement as they get older.
“The Fayette at Keeneland in October seems a race that might work and I’d be leaning away from going to California. Maybe the Breeders’ Cup next year for him.”
Wathnan can still look forward to having strong representation at Del Mar, as team leader Subsanador will be supported by a pair of European G2 winners in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint in the shape of Flying Childers scorer Aesterius and Shareholder, who landed the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.
As a prelude to their being shipped out to California, both will be trialled on an all-weather track under retained rider James Doyle in England, at either Wolverhampton or Kempton.
An ever-growing force, Wathnan is already an incredible success story. The name first came to prominence in 2022 when Umm Qarn, the biggest racing stable in Qatar, was in the process of evolving into Wathnan Racing, owned by the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The scale of Wathnan’s investment in bloodstock and its immediate impact has been remarkable, even in the context of powers such as Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin, established in the 1990s, and Sheikh Joaan Al Thani’s Al Shaqab, created just over a decade ago. It has been remarkable for the scale of its success at the highest level at the major meetings in such a very short space of time.
Olly Tait, who owns the impressive Twin Hills Stud in New South Wales, was formerly a key figure internationally in the Darley and Godolphin operations. He is now using much of that expertise in getting Wathnan off the blocks – and they have started like Usain Bolt.
“I was asked if I could assist with the transition of Umm Qarn to Wathnan, and at the beginning of last year, following on from that, I was asked to find horses for them to race in Europe and America,” Tait explains.
To assist in sourcing the horses in Europe, Tait called on well-known agent Richard Brown, of Blandford Bloodstock, and the pair have put together an impressive stable, already with a string of Group wins on the board, most notably including Courage Mon Ami in last year’s Ascot Gold Cup.
“In racing, there’s an element of judgement and there’s an element of luck,” Tait says. “We bought some of the right horses, but they bobbed up on the right days, which is fantastic. Obviously the start, with Gregory winning the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, followed the day after by Courage Mon Ami in the Gold Cup … that was something you couldn’t have dreamed of.
“Wathnan has grown quickly, and we’ve been lucky enough to have success at the very beginning, which sets it up nicely,” he adds.
Wathnan is named after a desert Arabian, a beloved stallion of Al Thani family folklore. He, in turn, was named for his kind and eager disposition. Wathnan can be translated as ‘crown of ears’, referring to a horse’s pricked ears, the surest sign that a horse truly is your friend.
Intrigue and discussion surround this year’s Arc
As much intrigue and discussion surrounds Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Paris Longchamp as I can remember – and it is likely to continue during a week in which several of the world’s leading stables are formulating plans for the last three months of the year.
The field for Europe’s premier all-aged contest had earlier looked in danger of being shaped by the weather, though most of the big batallions are represented. Coolmore, Juddmonte, Al Shaqab and the Wertheimer brothers are present and correct, alongside a serious Japanese contenders – but with two notable exceptions, Godolphin and Wathnan Racing.
That said, they both have strategies that take in the Breeders’ Cup, the Far East, and later the Middle East, so in effect they are by-passing the French showpiece in favour of other lucrative prizes. Wathnan, in particular, are keen to maintain their momentum as a growing force globally – a status long held by the Dubai team, of course.
The going at Longchamp is traditionally soft in early October though that trend was memorably discontinued 12 months ago when Ace Impact produced a dazzling turn of foot on fast ground to overwhelm a high-class field. This year, the forecast fine weather late in the week will dry out an already rain-sodden course, throwing up the prospect of tacky, dead ground come mid-afternoon on Sunday.
Four three-year-olds head the Arc betting market, with market-leader position disputed between Sosie and Look De Vega. The Wertheimers’ Grand Prix de Paris winner Sosie looked pretty smart in winning the G2 Prix Niel, one of the traditional Arc trials, in which he defeated Prix du Jockey Club winner Look De Vega. However, the latter looked uncomfortable making the running when third in that five-runner field and has recently reclaimed his status as Arc favourite in some betting lists.
Japanese contender Shin Emperor and Irish Derby winner Los Angeles, third and fourth respectively in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, also occupy high places in the market, while four-year-old.
A possible field of 18 was left standing after Wednesday’s latest declaration stage; the final field and draw comes on Thursday [Oct 3].
Bluestocking is a very interesting €120,000 supplementary entry for Juddmonte and trainer Ralph Beckett. She has won a pair of G1s in soft ground, most recently three weeks ago in the course-and-distance Prix Vermeille, and has also shown up well against her male counterparts this term.
As for intrigue, call up the name Auguste Rodin, who had originally been earmarked for a swansong in the Japan Cup in November before taking up stallion duties at Coolmore. But as of now, the six-time G1-winning son of Deep Impact remains a possible to join the Ballydoyle contingent in the Arc.
And then there are the two ‘forgotten’ horses this year – though not forgotten by the astute – namely the Joseph O’Brien-trained Al Riffa, who finished second to Ace Impact at Deauville last year, and a second Wertheimer contender in Aventure, trained Christophe Ferland, narrowly beaten by Bluestocking in the Prix Vermeille.
All in all, this is a fascinating renewal of the Arc, now in its 104th year – and that’s even allowing for the continued prohibition on geldings, which means Longchamp will be without top-class performers in Goliath and Caladagan.
Also missing are the two headline-making colts of the Classic generation, City Of Troy and Economics. Rest assured, a group of highly talented contenders stand ready to step in.
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