August George Wins Al Rayyan Mile
August George Holds Off Andab in Doha Mile
The Irish-bred 3YO gelding August George delivered a dominant display to win the Gr.2 Al Rayyan Mile Cup at Al Rayyan Racecourse on Saturday, the final day of the HH The Amir Sword Festival 2026. Ridden by Maxime Guyon, the son of Night Of Thunder clocked 1:35.56 over the mile on turf, pulling clear of a quality international field to cement his status as the standout 3YO Thoroughbred in Qatar this season.
The victory was particularly significant for trainer Gassim AlGhazali, who purchased August George for approximately US$490,000 (375,000 guineas) at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale in October 2025. The gelding had previously shown top-class form in Europe, most notably finishing runner-up to subsequent Group Three scorer Dorset in the Goffs Million while trained by Ivan Furtado in Yorkshire. AlGhazali, Qatar’s dominant champion trainer, identified the horse as a natural fit for Gulf racing and wasted no time targeting the festival’s biggest Thoroughbred prizes.
“Today I am very happy. I am very happy that we kept him here and we won here in Qatar. I think I was very lucky to buy him,” AlGhazali said after the race. “I had hoped he would go for HH Amir’s racecard. He’s given a good result since I bought him.”
The result marked a fourth victory in the race for Guyon, who has established himself as one of the premier jockeys at the festival. The triple Cravache d’Or winner gave an assured ride, settling August George behind the pace before delivering his challenge with precision entering the final two furlongs.
“He jumped well. He travelled good. He has a strong turn of foot. It was a good win,” Guyon reflected.
Godolphin’s Pacific Avenue Denied in Group Two Feature
Andab, representing Al Shaqab Racing and Trevor C. Stewart, finished a creditable second under Pierre-Charles Boudot. Trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien, the 3YO ran a race full of promise but could not match the winner’s devastating late acceleration.
Third place went to Pacific Avenue, the Godolphin representative trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick. The grey colt by Dubawi carried arguably the most high-profile connections in the field, but despite Buick’s characteristically patient ride, Pacific Avenue could not quicken sufficiently in the closing stages to threaten the front two. Nevertheless, it was a creditable effort on just his fifth career start, suggesting there is considerable improvement still to come from the Moulton Paddocks inmate.
Silca Blue, another from the AlGhazali yard, ran on steadily for fourth under Marco Casamento, while Zoiros completed the first five for trainer Hamad Al-Jehani and jockey Szczepan Mazur.
August George’s victory extended an outstanding run of form that now reads three wins and three places from just six career starts. His perfect in-the-frame record marks him as one of the most consistent performers in the region, and connections will be eyeing further targets in the Gulf racing calendar as the season progresses.
The result capped a remarkable festival for AlGhazali, whose stable enjoyed multiple winners across all four days. The expanded format of this year’s festival, staged for the first time across four consecutive days to mark the 50th anniversary of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, provided a fitting stage for the champion trainer to showcase his strength in depth.
With 10 runners lining up in one of the strongest 3YO mile contests staged in Qatar this season, the Gr.2 Al Rayyan Mile Cup confirmed the growing international appeal of the HH The Amir Sword Festival as a destination for elite Thoroughbred talent from across the globe.
