Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Purebred Arabian Handassa, trained by Francois Rohaut in Pau in the South West of France, is the horse everyone has to beat in this year’s edition of the Dubai Kahayla Classic, empowered by IPIC.
That is the word on the street and is a scenario his work rider Doric Binot, who has come over to Dubai with him from France, imagines every day when he goes out for a canter on the Meydan track.
“You always like to believe in the horse that you look after,” he explains. “But he is in great form and obviously won his race here in the beginning of the month. So we know he definitely likes the dirt.”
Originally apprenticed to Carlos Laffon-Parias in Chantilly, Binot used to ride as a Flat jockey before weight issues caught up with him and he switched to jump racing.
However, a heavy fall put an end to that career and it has now been nearly two years that he has worked for Francois Rohaut.
“We only have about 10 Purebred Arabians in our yard,” he continues. “The others are Thoroughbreds. In fact, last year, I came to Dubai with the filly Farmah, who is also owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.”
Sheikh Hamdan actually visited the quarantine stable on Monday and Binot was impressed: “It was quite amazing to meet him. He is really interested in the horse and it was just great to see him here.”
The owner-breeder has always had a great affinity with Purebred Arabian horses and nothing would please him more than a victory of six-year-old Handassa, whose sire Madjani lifted the event three consecutive times from 2005 to 2007.
By nature, they are not known to be easy rides and Binot confirms: “To ride a Purebred Arabian, you have to indulge them. They are much more sensitive and you constantly have to nurture them.
“It’s about finding the right balance of keeping them fresh, whilst coaxing them into doing a bit of serious work. You need to amuse them, keep them interested. I know this sounds strange, but in the morning you have to let them believe that they dominate.”
With Handassa, though, there is no great worry that he has to be coaxed and his work rider smiles when he says: “Handassa is one of the easier ones to ride, which by the way, is the reason that he is so exceptional.”
