Fairy Glen produced a stunning reversal of fortunes in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu, surging from the back of the field to claim a Group One triumph over the odds‑on favourite Sunly, delivering a memorable victory for the Newmarket training partnership of Simon and Ed Criswell. The race began with Mickael Barzalona aboard Fairy Glen settling at the rear of a modestly paced field that included Consent, Cameo, Sugar Island and the St Leger‑placed Amelia Earhart. Over the one‑mile‑six‑furlong distance the early leaders set a steady tempo, allowing the five‑year‑old filly to conserve energy before launching a decisive late run. Sunly, who had been backed into favourite status at 5‑6, took command with a furlong left to run, appearing to have the race in hand.
However, Barzalona timed his move perfectly, guiding Fairy Glen wide and late into the straight. The filly accelerated with vigor, closing the gap and ultimately snatching the lead by a neck at the finish line.
Amelia Earhart, the St Leger third‑placer, fought on admirably to retain third place, finishing a further three‑quarters of a length behind the winner. The result marked a remarkable achievement for Fairy Glen, who is slated for retirement at the close of the season after a distinguished campaign that already includes a Group Two Balanchine win and a Dubai Gold Cup victory at Meydan earlier in the spring. Earlier in May she had finished fifth in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier behind Caballo De Mar, and she entered the Qatar race after a runner‑up performance in a Listed event at Yarmouth the previous month.
Ed Criswell reflected on the filly's preparation, recalling a conversation with Barzalona: "Exactly what Mickael said would happen did happen – he said they'd get racing a long way out. He knows her very well from Dubai and simply wanted to take his time with her. They did get racing a long way out, he was following Sunly through and she's a game filly.
She's never going to win by two or three lengths, but she gets the job done." Criswell added that Fairy Glen "should have won at Yarmouth a couple of weeks ago. It was her first run after a summer break and we didn't want to give her a hard race because this was the aim.
She's a really good filly and she's won a Group One. She will be retired at the end of this year, whether there's another race for her… she is in at Ascot (on Champions Day) and there might be something back here. We'll talk to her owner, but we might be able to fit another race in before she goes to stud." The victory also highlighted the skill of jockey Mickael Barzalona, whose patient ride allowed Fairy Glen to unleash a powerful finish. His tactics demonstrated the importance of positioning and timing in middle‑distance races, especially when confronting a heavily backed favourite like Sunly.
In other news from the Qatar meeting, Wimbledon Hawkeye continued a brilliant debut season for trainer George Scott by capturing the Qatar Prix Dollar at Longchamp. The son of the 2022 Royal Lodge winner Kameko was acquired privately by the Victorious Forever syndicate during the off‑season and has proven a shrewd investment. After a Group Three win at Deauville and a narrow nose defeat to Hotazhell in the Irish Champion Stakes, the colt entered the Group Two contest with Christophe Soumillon in the saddle and delivered a convincing performance, edging Zaydann by half a length. Scott praised his charge, saying, "He's a class horse – he's proven that time and time again this year.
He was a bit fresh beforehand and I was a bit apprehensive how fresh he was, but he travelled into it like a really good horse." The win further cemented Wimbledon Hawkeye's reputation as a versatile, high‑class performer capable of handling different tracks and distances. Looking ahead, the colt's odds for the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes were dramatically shortened, yet a run on Champions Day at Ascot is not currently on the agenda.
Scott explained the strategic shift: "I think he'll be perfect for Bahrain. Shaikh Nasser has put his foot down, there'll be no Champion Stakes. I want to do what the boss wants to do and he's right – we want to take a fresh horse to Shaikh Nasser's home.
He was bought for Bahrain so this is all a bonus really. I'll give him a week in the field when he gets home and the Bahrain International is going to be the perfect race for him." When asked about his partnership with jockey Christophe Soumillon, Scott admitted, "It's cool to be associated with Christophe. He's not someone I know very well and I've had a bit of a man crush on him since he started riding! He's got that charisma like Oisin (Murphy) and Frankie (Dettori) – they're just one‑offs." Overall, the Qatar meeting delivered a blend of dramatic upsets and affirmations of emerging talent.
Fairy Glen's improbable surge from last to first will be remembered as a classic example of perseverance and tactical acumen, while Wimbledon Hawkeye's continued ascent underscores the value of patient training and strategic race placement. Both horses have now secured their places in the narrative of the 2024 flat racing season, and fans will be eager to see how their final campaigns unfold before Fairy Glen retires and Wimbledon Hawkeye embarks on his Bahrain adventure.