View source for Mouktar

{{Short description|Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox racehorse
| horsename = Mouktar
|image_name =
|caption =
| sire = [[Nishapour]]
| grandsire = [[Zeddaan]]
| dam = Molitva
| damsire = [[Tompion]]
| sex = [[Stallion]]
| foaled = 19 January 1982<ref name="equineline1982">{{cite web|url=http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=2174189&registry=T&horse_name==Mouktar%20(IRE)&dam_name==Molitva%20(GB)&foaling_year=1982&nicking_stats_indicator=Y |title=Mouktar pedigree |website=Equineline|date=2012-05-08 |accessdate=2013-09-07}}</ref>
| country = Ireland
| colour = [[Grey (horse)|Grey]]
| breeder = [[Aga Khan IV]]
| owner = Aga Khan IV
| trainer = [[Alain de Royer-Dupré]]
| record = 7: 6-0-0
| earnings =
| race = [[Critérium de Saint-Cloud]] (1984)<br />[[Prix Greffulhe]] (1985)<br />[[Prix Hocquart]] (1985)<br />[[Prix du Jockey Club]] (1985)<br />[[Prix Niel]] (1985)
| awards = Top-rated French two-year-old (1984)<br />Top-rated French three-year-old (1985)<br />Timeform rating: 124p (1984), 129 (1985)
| honours =
| updated=
}}
'''Mouktar''' (foaled 19 January 1982) was an Irish-bred, French-trained [[Thoroughbred]] [[horse racing|racehorse]] and [[sire (horse)|sire]]. Bred and owned by the [[Aga Khan IV|Aga Khan]], he was undefeated in his first five races including the [[Critérium de Saint-Cloud]], [[Prix Greffulhe]], [[Prix Hocquart]] and [[Prix du Jockey Club]] before finishing unplaced behind [[Law Society (horse)|Law Society]] in the [[Irish Derby]]. He won the [[Prix Niel]] on his only subsequent appearance and was retired to stud at the end of his three-year-old season.
==Background==
Mouktar was a "fine, big, rangy"<ref name="Timeform1985"/> grey horse<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sporthorse-data.com/horse/10075426/411/Horse_Mouktar-_2big.jpg |title=Mouktar image |publisher=sporthorse-data |date= |accessdate=2013-09-08}}</ref> bred in Ireland by his owner [[Aga Khan IV]]. He was sired by the grey stallion Nishapour, who won the [[Poule d'Essai des Poulains]] for the Aga Khan in 1978 and sired the [[Prix de Diane]] winner Shemaka and the [[Racing Post Trophy]] winner Beauchamp King.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/301673/nishapour |title=Nishapour Stud Record |publisher=Racing Post |date=2012-02-15 |accessdate=2013-09-08}}</ref> Mouktar's dam Molitva won two races over one and half miles and was a descendant of [[François Dupré]]'s racemare Mirna, who won the [[Prix de la Forêt]] and the [[Prix du Moulin]].<ref name="bloodlines1">{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family5b.htm |title=Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Grey Skim – Family 5-b |publisher=Bloodlines.net |date= |accessdate=2013-09-08}}</ref>
The colt was sent into training with [[Alain de Royer-Dupré]] at [[Chantilly Racecourse|Chantilly]] and was ridden in most of his races by [[Yves Saint-Martin]].
==Racing career==
===1986: two-year-old season===
Mouktar did not make his racecourse debut until late October 1984 when he won a [[maiden race]] over 1800 metres at [[Longchamp Racecourse]] against nine opponents. In November he was moved up in class to contest the [[Group races|Group two]] Critérium de Saint-Cloud over 2000 metres. Mouktar started the odds-on favourite in field of fourteen runners. He took the lead in the straight and drew clear of the field to win by six lengths from Hello Bill.<ref name="Timeform1984">{{cite book|author=Timeform staff|title =Racehorses of 1984| publisher=Timeform|year=1985| isbn = 0-900599-40-5}}</ref>
===1985: three-year-old season===
In April 1985, Mouktar made his first appearance of the season in the Prix Greffulhe over 2000 metres at Longchamp. Racing on very soft ground, he started the [[Fractional odds|1/5]] favourite and won easily from French School. In May Mouktar started the 3/10 favourite for the Prix Hocquart over 2400 metres. Racing on much faster ground he led from the start and was never seriously challenged, winning comfortably from Premier Role.<ref name="Timeform1985">{{cite book|author=Timeform staff|title=Racehorses of 1985| publisher=Timeform |year = 1986|isbn=0-900599-42-1}}</ref>
On 9 June, Mouktar started the 1/5 favourite for the Prix du Jockey Club over 2400 metres at [[Chantilly Racecourse]]. He took the lead from the [[pacemaker (running)|pacemaker]] Gottardo at half distance and won by two and a half lengths from Air de Cour. Timeform described the race as "dull and uninteresting", pointing out that many of the best French-trained colts, including [[Baillamont]] and Sumayr had bypassed the event in favour of the [[Prix Jean Prat]] and the [[Grand Prix de Paris]]. Commenting of the ease of Mouktar's win, Saint-Martin called the winner "an exceptional horse who has never been under pressure in his life".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3edLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yY0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6555,2878421&dq=mouktar+horse&hl=en |title=Unbeaten Mouktar wins French Derby with ease |work=[[New Straits Times]] |date=11 June 1985 |accessdate=2013-09-08}}</ref> Three weeks after his win at Chantilly, Mouktar was sent to the [[Curragh Racecourse|Curragh]] to contest the [[Irish Derby]] against a field which included [[Law Society (horse)|Law Society]], [[Triptych (horse)|Triptych]], Damister and Baillamont. Mouktar was accompanied by his regular traveling companion, a pony which helped to soothe his nervous disposition.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7udLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yY0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4502,6736612&dq=mouktar+horse&hl=en |title=French mount strong Derby challenge |work=New Straits Times |date=29 June 1985 |accessdate=2013-09-08}}</ref> He started the 9/4 second favourite but after taking the lead early in the straight he faded in the last two furlongs and finished seventh of the thirteen runners behind Law Society.<ref name="Timeform1985"/>
In September, Mouktar ran in the Prix Niel at Longchamp, and won by a nose from [[Saine Estephe (horse)|Saint Estephe]] to whom he was conceding two pounds. He was entered in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eeFHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zo0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4976,6646625&dq=mouktar+horse&hl=en |title=Small field expected for Arc |work=New Straits Times |date=26 September 1985 |accessdate=2013-09-08}}</ref> but was withdrawn from the race and retired.<ref name="Timeform1985"/>
==Assessment==
In the official International Classification for 1984, Mouktar was the highest-rated two-year-old trained in France, four pounds below the British colt Kala Dancer. The independent Timeform organisation rated him at 124p, the "p" indicating that he was likely to make significant improvement.<ref name="Timeform1984"/> As a three-year-old, Mouktar was given a Timeform rating of 129, seven pounds behind the top-rated [[Slip Anchor]]. In the International Classification he was the top-rated three-year-old  trained in France and the seventh highest-rated horse in Europe behind Slip Anchor, [[Petoski]], [[Rainbow Quest (horse)|Rainbow Quest]], [[Sagace]], [[Pebbles (horse)|Pebbles]] and [[Shadeed]].<ref name="Timeform1985"/>
==Stud record==
Mouktar was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion at his owner's Ballymany Stud in [[County Kildare]]. He was not a great success at stud, but sired a few good winners including the Japanese Group Three winner Mayano Petrus and the [[Steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechaser]] Morceli who won the [[Dipper Novices' Chase]] and [[Maghull Novices' Chase]] in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/73534/morceli |publisher=Racing Post |title=Morceli race record |date= |accessdate=2013-09-08}}</ref>
==Pedigree==
{{Pedigree
|name = Mouktar (IRE), grey horse, 1982<ref name="equineline1982"/>
|f = [[Nishapour]] (FR)<br />1975
|m = Molitva (GB)<br />1973
|ff = [[Zeddaan]] (GB)<br />1965
|fm = Alama (IRE)<br />1969
|mf = [[Tompion]] (USA)<br />1957
|mm = Mislava (FR)<br />1968
|fff = [[Grey Sovereign]]
|ffm = Vareta
|fmf = [[Aureole (horse)|Aureole]]
|fmm = Nucciolina
|mff = [[Tom Fool]]
|mfm = Sunlight
|mmf = [[Tanerko]]
|mmm = Mirna
|ffff = [[Nasrullah (horse)|Nasrullah]]
|fffm = Kong
|ffmf = Vilmorin
|ffmm = Veronique
|fmff = [[Hyperion (horse)|Hyperion]]
|fmfm = Angelola
|fmmf = [[Nuccio]]
|fmmm = Mah Behar
|mfff = [[Menow]]
|mffm = Gaga
|mfmf = [[Count Fleet]]
|mfmm = Halcyon Days
|mmff = [[Tantieme]]
|mmfm = La Divine
|mmmf = Mourne
|mmmm = Mitzika (Family 5-b)<ref name="bloodlines1"/>
|}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:1982 racehorse births]]
[[Category:Racehorses bred in Ireland]]
[[Category:Racehorses trained in France]]
[[Category:Thoroughbred family 5-b]]