Woodbine racetrack is on the radar again for WATHNAN RACING and trainer Hamad Al-Jehani, the owner and trainer team that came to Ontario last fall and won the Grade 1 Canadian International with Silawi (Ire) and the Singspiel Stakes (G3) with Haunted Dream.
Wathnan Racing is on a real roll around the world currently. The stable’s three-year-old colt LEADING CHANGE just upset the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga overseas, and won three Group races within a couple of hours in Germany, Great Britain and France.
The owner of Wathnan is Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar. The group was set up in Qatar and established a small yard in Newmarket, England, in 2024. Sheikh Tamim, who is a brother of Sheikh Joaan of Al Shaqab Racing and cousin of Sheikh Fahad of Qatar Racing, set up Wathnan Racing in 2022, spending 1,750,000 guineas at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale on nine horses to race in Qatar.
At Baden-Baden, Al-Jehani and Qatar’s champion jockey Faleh Bugenhaim combined to win Germany’s top sprint race, the Goldene Peitsche (G3), with the admirable six-year-old Holguin who has previously won Chester’s Listed City Plate Stakes twice. A few minutes later, Diego Ventura won the Group 3 Prix de Quincey on the final weekend of Deauville’s summer season. Then at Goodwood, Light of Dawn won the Group 3 Prestige Stakes for trainer Karl Burke.
Al-Jehani is about to invade Woodbine for the Woodbine Mile (G1) on September 12, bringing the fast-improving gelding ARCHIVIST (GB) to the $1 million race which returns to the E.P. Taylor turf course this year following renovations.
Archivist has five wins in 14 races and over $400,000 in earnings. He has won two consecutive races including the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York on August 22, a race he won by 7 1/2 lengths. Wathnan racing manager Richard Brown told At the Races, “He’s growing up and he’s by Dubawi and we know they get better with age. Pace is key and you would be hopeful you would get that in Canada.”
The WOODBINE MILE drew 16 nominations with Godolphin’s OPERA BALLO (Ire), a Group 1 winner, looking like he will be very tough to beat in the Win and You’re In Race for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). Opera Ballo was third to superstar-now-retired Bow Echo in the Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood.
Godolphin and Appleby, along with jockey William Buick, have won three of the last four Woodbine Miles with Modern Games, Master of the Seas, and last year with Notable Speech. Modern Games and Notable Speech both went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). Notable Speech recently won the Group 1 City of York Stakes at the Ebor Festival and is headed to the Breeders’ Cup.
Another good one for the Woodbine Mile is multiple Grade 1 winner DETERMINISTIC, a five-year-old son of Liam’s Map who has won five straight graded stakes dating back to last June. The Miguel Clement-trained stallion has earned over $3 million.
Here are Canadian Thoroughbred’s PROBABLES for the Woodbine Mile:
- OPERA BALLO (GB)
- DETERMINISTIC
- ARCHIVIST (GB)
- GAS ME UP
- PIPER’S FACTOR
- IRISH ACES
- ITSASTORMYMONDAY
- WYOMING BILL
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