HM Alchahine Retains Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon Crown
HM Alchahine Wins By Four Lengths
HM Alchahine retained his Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon (Group One, PA) title at Paris Longchamp on Sunday, 6 September 2026, dominating a race restricted to Purebred Arabians in the same style as his 2025 victory.
The Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon (Group One PA) was run over 2,000 metres, where HM Alchahine, trained by Elisabeth Bernard and ridden by Cristian Demuro, beat Geneva by four lengths with Shayeg a further length and a quarter back in third. Owned by Helal Alalawi, the winning time was 2’17”9.
Sent into contention from the far outside, HM Alchahine had effectively settled the contest by halfway down the straight, extending clear of his rivals with a long, raking stride. That turn of foot, allied to the width he was given to build momentum, meant his rivals were already fighting a losing battle before the final furlong had even been reached.
Bernard admitted the pace troubled her before Demuro’s move. “I have rarely seen a Group race run at such a slow pace. It is always quite worrying,” she said. “Fortunately, Cristian Demuro made his move early, because a horse with a big stride like HM Alchahine needs a little bit of time to lengthen. And he took the right initiative early enough.”
Bernard Warns Tougher Test Awaits
The winner returns to the race where he finished second in 2025, the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Group One PA), behind Al Ghadeer, who has since retired to stud after becoming the race’s first three-time winner.
Bernard was quick to temper the scale of Sunday’s success against what lies ahead. “We have to bear in mind that today’s field, without wishing to disparage our rivals, is well below the level we will face on World Cup day, which is normal,” she said, naming the unbeaten mare Chdia as a leading threat. “She wins all her races in the same way as this horse. So the clash is going to be interesting.”
Bernard also flagged Lippo de Carrere, who beat HM Alchahine in Doha, as another live contender for the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Group One PA), due at Paris Longchamp on 4 October 2026 on the same card as the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. “There are going to be some very good horses,” she said, a reminder that the World Cup field looks set to assemble around some of the division’s sharpest performers.
Geneva And Shayeg Set For Rematch
Runner-up Geneva, trained by François Rohaut, is being aimed at the same World Cup showdown, with her trainer banking on testing ground to swing the balance his way. “If the ground were to change, she could spring a nice surprise because we know she is much better on soft, or even heavy, ground,” Rohaut said. “So I am praying for plenty of rain over Arc weekend.”
Rohaut pointed to Geneva’s summer form as evidence of her Group One credentials, recalling her victory over Mureb at La Teste. “She is a genuine Group One mare. She has everything going for her. She has the pedigree, she has the physique, she has the heart,” he said. “What she has done today is terrific. She is tenacious and very confident. She comes from a family of fighters.”
Third-placed Shayeg, trained by Jean de Mieulle, drew praise for holding the podium spot despite limited experience at this level. “He has practically no experience at this level, so to see him being so competitive and holding on to third place is obviously very encouraging for the future,” de Mieulle said, adding that 2,000 metres looked to be his ceiling but that his turn of foot marked him out. “There are not that many of them who can show genuine acceleration over a short distance, and he can do it.”