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| Sumita Pawar |
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The Royal Ascot carnival will mark the beginning of a high-profile collaboration between a group of well-known Australian owners and Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing, which is expected to have significant implications for upcoming Melbourne racing carnivals.
On Monday, Ozzie Kheir, an owner based in Melbourne, announced that he and some of his usual co-owners would jointly own two horses with Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Thani during the first day of the Royal Ascot carnival. This partnership is expected to result in greater achievements in some of Australia's major racing events.
New Partnership Competes In Melbourne Races
As part of their newly-formed partnership, the owners will compete in the listed Wolferton Stakes with Buckaroo, a potential Cox Plate contender, on Tuesday, followed by their emerging young stayer Saint George in a G2 race on Wednesday.
‘’We have been in discussions for close to a year now with Qatar Bloodstock concerning Buckaroo,’’ Kheir said.
‘’We have always liked him. He had a minor set-back and both parties agreed to wait till he recovers and start a partnership on the right note.
‘’Although his best result is only a listed win, we have had a big opinion of him and so does (trainer) Joseph O’Brien.
‘’He’s a horse that we hope will naturally improve with more racing and measure up in our better weight-for-age races in Australia.
‘’He will continue to be trained by Joseph and provided his form warrants a trip to Australia for a Cox Plate, Joseph has indicated he will be on a plane.
‘’Hopefully we can get Sheikh Fahad to come along as I know he loves the Melbourne Spring Carnival.’’
‘’The relationship with Sheik Fahad is a growing one with some members of the group also involved in racing Saint George on the Wednesday in the Gr.2 Queen’s Vase,’’ Kheir said.
Royal Ascot Welcomes New Partnership
‘’He is a lightly-raced three-year-old stayer who will also make his way to Australia under the Ciaron Maher/ Dave Eustace banner.
‘’He’s a progressive horse who we will take our time with and potentially target some better races in the autumn as it might all come too quick for him.
‘’We will wait and see how he goes before we decide on a plan.’’
In 2011, Dunaden, owned by Pearl Bloodstock and Sheikh Fahad, famously won Australia's biggest race in a photo finish against Red Cadeaux, and now the partnership between Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing and a group of prominent Australian owners, including Ozzie Kheir, will result in up to four runners at the Royal Ascot carnival, including Light Infantry in the Gr.1 Queen Anne Stakes and Coolangatta in the Gr.1 King's Stand Stakes on the first day.