Trainer Thomas Fourcy Readies Obaiya For His Meydan Debut

Q: For how long have you participated in the Dubai World Cup meeting? 

A: This will be my first time in the Dubai World Cup meeting, and I’m happy and excited about it.

Q: Please tell us more Hadi De Carrere and your plans for him in the Gr.1 Kahayla Classic? Also, kindly share more about about your other champion, Lady Princess.

A: Hadi De Carrere will represent my training and Khalifa Bin Sheail Al Kuwari's Hullin at the Kahayla Classic. He showed great ability as a 3YO and so we did not race him as a 4YO. We have preserved him for the big races. He confirmed his superior skills when he won the Obayia Classic in Riyadh. He is a horse made for dirt.

Following her victory in H.H. Amir Sword in Doha, Lady Princess is on holiday at the Haras de Saint Faust.

Q: Do you have any concerns about the track or the competitors that will be participating on World Cup night in the Kahayla Classic?

A: Hadi De Carrere is a horse with a lot of action. I think he can be caught at the start and in the first part of the race on the Meydan track. Even though the track at Riyadh was deeper than Meydan, his toughness and willingness showed that he was not bothered by the projections.

The other competitors in the race are mostly quality horses, and some of them are surface specialists, but I have confidence in my horse. He should do well. He has come back from his trip to Riyadh very well.

He is very supple and cheerful, and he won't need much work before he leaves for Meydan. We are focusing his program on physical and mental recovery.

Q: What kind of a horse is Lady Princess during training, and what are your plans for her after the World Cup meeting? 

A: Lady Princess arrived in training as a new 3YO. She was at the Haras du Saubouas with Paul Basquin, who had bought her from Mr. Bellot on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Deymonaz.

She had made a pleasant winning start and was spotted and bought on the same day by Mr. Gérard Larrieu on behalf of Sheail Bin Khalifa Al Kuwari.

She is a small mare with great strength, and above all a big heart. She has her character but she is quite easy to train. She is currently on holiday for 4 to 6 weeks where she will relax in her grass paddock.

This year she will follow the same program as last year. She will be back to school at the beginning of July to prepare for the Qatar Stakes at Goodwood, then the World Cup at Longchamps, then the Jewel Crown at Abu Dhabi, and the H.H. Amir Sword at Doha if all goes well for her. She is a classy mare. As long as she is fit and healthy, she will give her best on the track.

Q: What are your plans for Tayf, Abbes, and your other Group one winning horses? What races would they aim at for the rest of the year? 

A: Tayf and Khataab have retired from racing after the Qatar Arabian World Cup at Longchamps. A new breeding route is now open to them.

Abbes went to Qatar for the season with Alban de Mieulle and should be back in France to run at the World Cup at Longchamps in early October. Like Lady Princess, Hoggar de L'ardus went on holiday this winter, and unlike Hadi de Carrere, he ran his entire 4-year-old year and was present at each of his races.

Following his victory in the Qatar Arabian World Cup, he was a very good second in the Jewel Crown, just behind Lady Princess, a specialist in this type of race. His objective this year will be the beautiful French races, and we will decide with his owner Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani about international travel plans. He is a very good horse who continues to mature physically and mentally with time.

Q: What are your thoughts about the increased opportunities for racing in the Middle East? 

A: The development of major races in the Middle East has presented an opportunity to travel to represent French training and breeding, which is a great thing. We are fortunate to have very good age horses to compete in the premier events, and we are supported and encouraged by our owners.

The competition from abroad is increasingly good, and it is interesting to compare our French horses with those from other countries. This allows us to question the level of the horses we are lucky enough to exploit.

Q: You are one of the most inspirational trainers in the world. Who inspires you? 

A: I think my inspiration comes mainly from my horses. I was lucky enough to train exceptional horses very early in my career, which allowed me to take on challenges that gave me confidence.

The owners also had a lot to do with this. They pushed me to the limit sometimes, but knowing my horses and understanding their condition helped me accept challenges that I would not have dared as a young trainer. His Excellency Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani wanted to see Mister Ginoux and Al Mourtajez run in the major events in Doha in the second year of my installation as a trainer in 2015.

We won the two Group Ones and that gave me the confidence to prepare for other big events. Horses Make You Who You Are. Our role is to shape them in a way that allows them to express the best of themselves.

Q: Please tell us why you got into racing and what has kept you racing?

A: I grew up on a farm in the north of France. I used to race ponies in the apple orchards with children from neighboring farms. Unfortunately, my father died when I was 10 years old and my mother could not continue the farm on her own, so I had to choose a path.

I loved horses and speed, so my mother enrolled me in the AFASEC school at 14, where I learned the jockey trade. I started with Mr. Deroualle as an apprentice and as I was tall, he recommended me to Guillaume Macaire, a jumping stable. I then joined Arnaud Chaille-Chaille's training as a jockey, where I discovered Arabian horses. Above all, someone who changed the course of my professional life, Mr. Hassan MOUSLI, breeder and owner of Arabian horses. He encouraged me to become a trainer in 2013.

Q: What has been your favourite moment in your racing career and why? 

A: My greatest daily pleasure is to see my horses evolve in training. I enjoy getting them ready and taking them to competitions. I have had great joy in many races because I have been lucky enough to train several good horses. Everyone is different in character and background, and you have particular affinities at different times in your life as well. But if I had to remember one race, in particular, I would say the victory in Doha in the Gr.1 H.H. Amir Sword (2015) with Al Mourtajez, owned by His Excellency Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani and bred by Hassan Mousli. It was a great first prestigious victory abroad for me. Winning the big races give me a lot of joy.