Fairy Glen staged a dramatic comeback, moving from the back of the field to overtake the odds‑on favourite Sunly and secure a Group One triumph for the Newmarket training partnership of Simon and Ed Crisford. The five‑year‑old filly, under the guidance of jockey Mickael Barzalona, was settled at the rear of a strong pace set by Consent, Cameo, Sugar Island and Amelia Earhart in the one‑mile‑six‑furlong Qatar Prix de Royallieu.
As the race unfolded, Barzalona kept the filly relaxed, allowing the early leaders to dictate a solid tempo while Fairy Glen conserved energy for a late surge. Approaching the final furlong, Sunly, who had been backed into favourite status at 5‑6, seized the lead with a decisive move.
Yet Barzalona timed his run perfectly, swinging Fairy Glen wide and launching a powerful finishing kick. The filly edged past Sunly in the closing stages, winning by a neck in a thrilling finish that left the crowd buzzing. Amelia Earhart, the St Leger third‑placer, fought on valiantly to retain third place, finishing a further three‑quarters of a length behind the winner. This victory marks a fitting finale for Fairy Glen, who is slated for retirement at the end of the season.
Earlier in the spring, she captured the Group Two Balanchine and the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan, and she had previously finished fifth in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier behind Caballo De Mar in May. A recent second‑place finish in a Listed race at Yarmouth served as a useful warm‑up for the Qatar campaign. Ed Crisford, speaking after the race, recalled Mickael Barzalona’s pre‑race strategy: “Exactly what Mickael said would happen did happen – he said they'd get racing a long way out. He knows her really well from Dubai and just wanted to take his time on 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.” Crisford added that Fairy Glen’s performance at Yarmouth had been a strong indicator of her readiness: “She probably 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.” He praised the filly’s consistency and class, noting that she has already earned a Group One title and will retire with a distinguished record.
“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 race report also highlighted the success of Wimbledon Hawkeye, who continued an impressive debut season for owner George Scott by winning the Qatar Prix Dollar at Longchamp. The son of Kameko, a former Royal Lodge victor for James Owen, was purchased privately by the Victorious Forever syndicate during the off‑season.
After a Group Three win at Deauville and a narrow defeat to Hotazhell in the Irish Champion Stakes, Wimbledon Hawkeye proved his class once more. Ridden again by Christophe Soumillon, he displayed dominance in the Group Two contest, finishing half a length ahead of Zaydann. Scott praised his colt’s temperament and versatility: “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 sparked speculation about future targets, but the connections confirmed that the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes odds were cut, and an appearance on Champions Day at Ascot is not planned. Instead, the focus shifts to Bahrain, where Shaikh Nasser has expressed interest in the colt. “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.” Soumillon, who rode Wimbledon Hawkeye to victory, received a light‑hearted compliment from Scott: “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 Prix de Royallieu delivered a memorable day of racing, showcasing Fairy Glen’s tenacity and marking a high point in her career before retirement, while also underscoring Wimbledon Hawkeye’s rising stature on the international stage. Both horses have added valuable chapters to their pedigrees, and fans can look forward to potential final appearances for Fairy Glen and a promising Middle‑East campaign for Wimbledon Hawkeye later in the year.