Fairy Glen produced a stunning turn of events in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu, surging from the back of the field to claim a Group One victory over the odds‑on favourite Sunly, delivering a memorable win for Newmarket trainers Simon and Ed Criswell. The race began with Mickael Barzalona aboard Consent, who set a respectable early tempo along with fellow runners Cameo, Sugar Island and Amelia Earhart.
The five‑year‑old Fairy Glen settled at the rear, conserving energy while the leaders negotiated the mile‑and‑six‑furlongs of the straight. As the field entered the final furlong, Sunly – who had been backed to 5‑6 favourite – moved to the front, appearing to have the race under control. Barzalona, however, timed his run perfectly and guided Fairy Glen wide and late, allowing the filly to challenge the leader in the closing strides.
The duel culminated in a neck‑length victory for Fairy Glen, leaving Sunly just a head behind. Amelia Earhart, a former St Leger third‑placer, fought valiantly to retain third place, finishing roughly three‑quarters of a length behind the winner. The triumph is particularly poignant for Fairy Glen, who is slated for retirement at the close of the season.
Earlier in the spring she captured the Group Two Balanchine and the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan, and she had also placed fifth in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier behind Caballo De Mar in May. In preparation for the Qatar contest she had taken second in a Listed race at Yarmouth the previous month.
After the race, Ed Criswell reflected on Barzalona’s tactics: "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." 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 broader programme of Qatar‑sponsored events, with Wimbledon Hawkeye continuing his impressive debut campaign for trainer George Scott by winning the Qatar Prix Dollar at Longchamp. The son of Kameko, a former Royal Lodge winner for James Owen, was purchased privately by the Victorious Forever syndicate during the off‑season. Since then he has added a Group Three triumph at Deauville and a narrow nose defeat to Hotazhell in last month’s Irish Champion Stakes.
Riding again for Christophe Soumillon, Wimbledon Hawkeye proved the class of the field, pulling away to win by half a length over Zaydann. Scott praised the colt, 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." Looking ahead, Scott confirmed that Wimbledon Hawkeye’s odds for the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes have been dramatically shortened, but a trip to Ascot on Champions Day is not on the agenda.
Instead, the colt is earmarked for a campaign in Bahrain, as Sheikh Nasser has expressed a desire to see him compete there. "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," Scott explained. Scott also offered a light‑hearted comment about his partnership with Soumillon: "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 an exhilarating narrative of a seasoned filly defying the odds, a trainer’s strategic patience paying off, and a rising star continuing to build a reputation on the European circuit. The race underscored the global nature of modern thoroughbred competition, with horses, trainers and jockeys from across the continent converging in Doha to showcase top‑level talent. Fans of Sky Sports Racing can look forward to further updates, interviews and feature stories as the season progresses, especially with the upcoming Champions Day at Ascot and the anticipated Bahrain campaign for Wimbledon Hawkeye.