The growing relevance of racing in Qatar was highlighted again on Thursday night when Newmarket Group 1 winner Beethoven scored an impressive victory in the Qatar Derby.

A G1 winner of the 2009 Dewhurst Stakes, Beethoven won eased down by a length from Lancelot (Bahri) and Miss Starlight (Trade Fair).  “He felt like a real class horse and did very nicely,” jockey Seb Sanders said.  “He won like a class animal.”

Beethoven (3c Oratorio – Queen Titi by Sadler´s Wells) was originally raced by Coolmore and started 11 times as a juvenile.  Apart from the Dewhurst, he won a Leopardstown maiden and was placed in the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh.

The Qatar Derby was his second win in 8 starts this term.  He was successful in the G3 Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown but failed in the Breeders’ Cup behind Goldikova and the Hong Kong Mile behind Beauty Flash.

Beethoven originally changed hands as a yearling for 260,000 euros at Goffs in September 2008.  He is from the family of Henrythenavigator.

Now trained by Ahmed Kobeissi for Mohammed Qazm Al Ansari, he will be set for the Dubai carnival along the with the other Derby placegetters. 

“Beethoven’s last run in Hong Kong was a good one even though he finished down the field,” Sanders explained.  “He is an exciting horse and is just one of many now based here who could be very competitive at Dubai in the carnival.”