Lippo De Carrere Claims The Amir Sword
Lippo De Carrere Stuns Al Ghadeer in Doha Showdown
Lippo De Carrere delivered a performance for the ages on the closing day of the HH The Amir Sword Festival, upsetting the mighty Al Ghadeer to capture the Gr.1 HH The Amir Sword over 2,400 metres at Al Rayyan Racecourse. Trained by Alban De Mieulle and ridden with supreme confidence by Maxime Guyon, the Wathnan Racing-owned 5YO completed the contest in 2:37.06, denying the reigning champion a historic third consecutive triumph in Qatar’s most prestigious Purebred Arabian race, worth US$2.5 million.
The result sent shockwaves through the 48th edition of the Festival, staged for the first time across four days to mark the 50th anniversary of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club. All eyes had been fixed on Al Ghadeer, the undisputed world champion who arrived in Doha bidding to seal an unprecedented third Doha Triple Crown. Having already secured the Gr.1 Qatar International Stakes at Goodwood for the third successive year and the Gr.1 Qatar Arabian World Cup at ParisLongchamp, the François Rohaut-trained 7YO needed only this final piece to complete the sweep.
Rohaut had spoken candidly about the challenge of keeping his champion at his peak. “It’s getting harder to get him fit, he becomes a bit lazy,” the trainer observed at the 2025 Goodwood campaign, adding: “He’s six now, but he’s still the best” (Gulf Times, July 2025). A year on, age appeared finally to catch up with the champion over the testing 2,400 metres of Doha’s turf course.
A Rising Star Seizes the Moment
For Lippo De Carrere, the victory represented a remarkable progression. The son of Al Mourtajez out of Elmanara De Carrere had announced himself on the international stage when capturing the Gr.1 UAE President Cup – UK Arabian Derby at Doncaster on St Leger Day in September 2025, winning by half a length to claim his first top-level success. That performance reversed earlier form with Hajmah in the French Arabian Derby at Chantilly and marked him as a serious force among the younger generation.
The step up to 2,400 metres against seasoned campaigners of the highest calibre was a significant question. Guyon settled his mount patiently through the early stages before producing a decisive turn of foot in the closing metres, sweeping past Christophe Soumillon aboard Al Ghadeer, who could not summon the devastating late acceleration that had characterised his 14 victories from 15 career starts entering the race.
HM Alchahine, the multiple UAE President’s Cup series winner trained by Helal and Tahnob Alalawi for National Stables, ran with credit in third. The 6YO had established his class with victories in the Italian, German, and Abu Dhabi legs of the President’s Cup series, confirming his standing among the elite. Wathnan Racing’s second runner, Haseef, finished fourth under Pierre Boudot, while Al Shahania Stud’s Samsa Al Shahania completed the first five.
The triumph was deeply significant for Wathnan Racing and De Mieulle, who previously saddled Abbes to victory in the 2023 renewal. Qatar’s most successful trainer, the Frenchman has built a formidable operation since arriving in Doha in 1995. For Guyon, the retained jockey for Wertheimer et Frère in France and a Group One winner across multiple continents, the Amir Sword adds a prestigious new dimension to his career.
Genny Haynes, ARO Chief Executive Officer, had captured the significance of the broader narrative before the race: “We could not have imagined how hard it would be for any horse to achieve a win [in the Doha Triple Crown]” (ARO Racing, July 2025). That difficulty was laid bare at Al Rayyan, where the crown was prised from the champion’s grasp by a younger rival with ambitions of his own. The torch, it appears, has been passed — and the landscape of Purebred Arabian racing may never look quite the same again.
