SPORT Monday 2 October 2017 PAGE | 30 PAGE | 34 PAGE | 36 Messi brace helps Wozniacki Al Attiyah Barca win behind wobbles on way looks to seal closed doors to round two FIA title Owner of Enable, which won the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Group 1), Sheikh Khalid Abdulla receiving the QPAT Trophy from H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani (left). CENTRE: H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Thani, owner of Gazwan which won the Qatar Arabian World Cup (Arab Group 1), celebrates after receiving the winner’s trophy. RIGHT: H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Thani poses for a photograph with Gazwan and the members of the winning team at Chantilly Racecourse in France yesterday. Gazwan wins Qatar Arabian World Cup as Enable steals the show in Chantilly Chantilly the end with Yazeed (Munjiz) The Total Prix Marcel Bous- Only one filly was entered (Gr1), since Rhododendron (Gal- (Acclamation) and Profitable The Peninsula and Ebraz (Amer). Gazwan took sac – Critérium des Pouliches in this Qatar Prix Jean-Luc ileo) and Hydrangea (Galileo) (Invincible Spirit). Both horses a short head advantage on the (Gr1) opened the Qatar Prix de Lagardère (Grand Critérium) took the first two places. Both came second and third respec- E Sheikh Moham- line. l’Arc de Triomphe day and it sponsored by Al Hazm (Gr1) and fillies fought for victory until the tively. Quick in front, Battaash med bin Khalifa Al Meanwhile, the Sheikh Kha- was won by the Godolphin- she won! Happily (Galileo) made end. Rhododendron travelled controlled the race from pillar Thani’s Gazwan lid Abdullah-owned Enable owned Wild Illusion (Dubawi). her owners happy by showing on the outside of the field just to post. When his jockey asked (Amer) brought (Nathaniel) showed how amaz- Supplemented to participate in her superiority against the colts behind her training partner, him to accelerate, he showed an home the 2017 ing she is by winning this 2017 this first Gr1 on Sunday, she had in this Gr1. Winner of the Moy- Hydrangea. Both jockeys asked incredible turn of foot and left Hedition of the Qatar Arabian Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. done well lately in the Prix glare Stud Stakes (Gr1), she their fillies to accelerate 300m his rivals behind, flying towards World Cup (Gr1) and succeeded Frankie Dettori placed her in the d’Aumale (Gr3) when taking the confirmed her abilities in good from the post and did not let go the post. the great Al Mourtajez (Dahess). back of Idaho and Order of St third place. Today, she cantered to soft ground here at Chantilly. until the final post came. Only a The Canning Downs & Part- After his third attempt in this George and did not give a on the outside, right behind The Coolmore representative head separated Rhododendron ner-owned colt Aclaim claimed race, Gazwan finally imposed chance to her rivals. On a sim- Soustraction (Lope de Vega). attacked the first horses in the and Hydrangea from the gold victory in this Qatar Prix de la himself in the Qatar Arabian ple turn of foot, she left them all Entering the home straight in last 200m and after a short bat- medal in this “Arc” for fillies. Forêt (Gr1). He travelled in the World Cup. behind, imposing herself by two front, Wild Illusion did not leave tle, she managed to impose Battaash (Dark Angel), back of Al Shaqab Racing’s Second in 2015, fourth in lengths and a half in front of the her place and only pushed fur- herself in front of Olmedo, who owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, Karar (Invincible Spirit) along 2016, the third one was the André Fabre-trained Cloth of ther away by the two French came second. imposed himself brilliantly in the rail. Brought as far as possi- good one. A tough horse, Stars (Sea The Stars). On this Polydream (Oasis Dream), sec- Coolmore and Aidan the Prix de l’Abbaye de Long- ble by Karar, Aclaim could then Gazwan cantered not far from occasion, Enable won her fifth ond, and Mission Impassible O’Brien signed a double win in champ Longines (Gr1), defeating come back strongly in the last the lead and fought well until Gr1 in a row. (Galileo), third. this Prix de l’Opéra Longines the title holder Marsha metres. Jockey Frankie Dettori guides Enable (left) towards the victory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Group 1) race at Chantilly Racecourse yesterday. Verstappen ends run of bad luck in Sepang Sepang three-way shunt with the technical problems and first lap declaring ‘RB13 - unlucky for Reuters Ferraris. collisions have forced Verstappen some’ with the ‘un’ part flickering “I’m not saying we’re going to out of seven of them. on and off. ax Verstappen (pictured) win every race but at least (we can) “As soon as we called this car Accompanied by the hashtag hoped his luck had turned score some good points. Up until RB13, I’ve been reasonably #breaksuperstition, the former Myesterday after putting a now, it was really a season to uncomfortable,” joked Horner, champions had intended to sug- run of race retirements behind him forget.” referring to the belief in some gest that the car would prove with victory in Malaysia a day after The victory was the second of countries that the number 13 is unlucky for rivals rather than one his 20th birthday. his career, after he became For- unlucky. The car is the 13th that of their own drivers. The Red Bull driver was not mula One’s youngest winner in former champions Red Bull have But yesterday, Verstappen was the only one breathing a sigh of Spain on his Red Bull team debut built. completely in control of his own relief after a drive to victory that last year. “He’s endured so much bad fate as he made a clean start, had team-boss Christian Horner Red Bull had already won once luck this year. I’ve always said pulled off a daring move to seize crossing his fingers and nervously this season with Australian Dan- when it turns for him, it’ll turn in the lead from Mercedes pole sit- jiggling his feet on the pitwall. iel Ricciardo, who was third on a major way and that’s exactly ter Lewis Hamilton and never “Hopefully from now onwards Sunday after winning in Malaysia what’s happened today.” looked back. it will be OK,” said Verstappen, last year, in Azerbaijan. Red Bull had made light of Unlike Spain, where he cashed who had crashed out of the pre- But while Ricciardo has scored superstition at their pre-season in after the two Mercedes collided, vious race in Singapore after a eight podiums in 15 races, launch which featured a neon sign he won in Malaysia on pace. 30 SPORT MONDAY 2 OCTOBER 2017 Messi brace helps Barca win behind closed doors Barcelona Indeed, despite the closure home the opener from Messi’s AFP of the stadium, one fan did corner. make it onto the pitch after Bar- Messi then took over him- ionel Messi scored twice ca’s second goal before being self as he calmly rounded as Barcelona beat Las Pal- quickly hauled off by Leandro Chichizola from Denis Lmas 3-0 in a match played stewards. Suarez’s excellent pass to make behind closed doors after the Huge queues of fans waited it 2-0. Spanish league refused Barca’s outside the 99,000 capacity And the five-time World plea to postpone the game on Camp Nou for hours until a final Player of the Year then smashed the day of the highly-charged decision was made less than 30 home Luis Suarez’s through ball Catalonia referendum. minutes before kick-off. for already his 14th goal of the At least 91 people were A Barca spokesperson con- season. injured as Spanish riot police firmed that all fans who bought Barca have long supported fired rubber bullets and forced tickets would be reimbursed. Catalonia’s right for a vote on their way into activist-held The match itself was an independence, without throw- polling stations over the inde- understandably low key affair ing their weight behind the yes pendence vote deemed illegal as Barca opened up a five-point or no camp. by the Spanish government lead at the top of La Liga and Last week the club released yesterday. moved 10 points clear of Real a strongly-worded statement Barcelona president Josep Madrid. condemning arrests of regional Maria Bartomeu said the club Barca’s players entered the Catalan government figures in made the decision to play field wearing a training top in “the defence of the nation, to behind closed doors as a pro- the colours of the Catalan Seny- democracy, to freedom of Barcelona forward Lionel Messi (left) celebrates with team-mates Ivan Rakitic and Andres test against the violent clashes era flag over their traditional speech, and to rather than security concerns. Iniesta after scoring a goal during the Spanish League match against UD Las Palmas at the blue and red home kit. self-determination”. “FC Barcelona condemns Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, yesterday. Meanwhile, Las Palmas According to Spanish media the events which have taken wore a small Spanish flag on reports, Barca vice-president place in many parts of Catalo- In a statement, La Liga the game and play it another “It was strange, I didn’t like their shirts as a show of support Carles Vilarrubi has resigned nia today in order to prevent its insisted “there was no motive day..