H. H The Amir Trophy is central to the big Saturday card.
Thady Gosden described the seven runners heading to the Group Two HH The Amir Trophy in Doha on Saturday as “an elite field”, illustrating the quality of the $2.5 million extension.
In Qatar, overseeing the final preparation of Lion’s Pride, Gosden reflected on the grey’s fifth-place finish behind Royal Champion in the Bahrain International Trophy in November, a place he believes could be improved on at another circuit.
The six-year-old, owned by Anthony Oppenheimer, was beaten by a total of five and a half lengths, but both Gosden and jockey Robert Havlin will be hoping for improvement.
Gosden, joint trainer with his father John, was on hand to watch the Lion’s Pride gallop on Thursday morning and said: “On reflection, a mile and a quarter in Bahrain may have been a bit sharp for him.
“This is a different track and it’s nice to come out and have him ready, having completed his stronger work beforehand.
“It’s a very elite field and a very competitive, open-looking race. He seems to be in very good shape, he has traveled well and we are looking forward to it. He has a good place in gate three.”
Havlin rode the gelding to Listed success at Newmarket in September and again in Bahrain.
He said: “The race has attracted seven of the best and my boy has arrived here on good terms with himself.
“In the Newmarket race he got on the bridle and handled it very well to stay clear when I asked him to. In Bahrain he thought the trip was possibly on the short side, but on Saturday the conditions should be ideal for him.”
The three Japanese runners – Satono Glanz, Deep Monster and Byzantine Dream – galloped around the artificial grass course in independent solo exercises on Wednesday.
Satono Glanz is trying to get fourth time lucky in the race, after finishing third in 2024 and second last year.
Deep Monster is ridden by Tom Marquand, while Byzantine Dream is perhaps the best known of the trio.
The four-year-old finished fifth behind Daryz in his last start in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Oisin Murphy was on board at Longchamp, but Cristian Demuro will take over on Saturday.
Elsewhere on the card, great Arab runner Al Ghadeer will run his final race in the Group One Amir Sword, where he will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon.
Trainer Francois Rohaut said of his defending champion: “It was a difficult decision to retire him as a stud, but in life all good things eventually come to an end.
“Although he is a big favourite, I don’t think this is a done deal. He is often called the greatest Arabian racehorse of all time, but if you look back there were some very good champions.”
“It is not easy or possible to accurately judge horses that have raced 15 years apart, although there is no doubt that he is a great champion.”
Al Ghadeer has won 13 of his 14 career starts and amassed more than €5 million in prize money.
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