Six international races. 266 total entries. 78 overseas entries from eight countries.
HH The Emir’s Sword Festival next month is expected to be a true blue global racing event with the preliminary entries showing a huge interest from some of the top trainers of the UK, France, the USA, Oman, Germany, Japan, Ireland and Italy.
The three-day racing event at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club will be held February 22-24, 2018, with the two USD1mn races — HH The Emir’s Sword (Gr1 PA) and HH The Emir’s Trophy (Gr1) — the highlight of the extravaganza.
French trainer Thomas Fourcy has entered Al Shaqab Racing’s Almaa, winner of the French Arabian Breeders’ Challenge Classic (Gr2 PA) in Toulouse, in the 2400m Arabian feature, with as many as eight other runners from Oman, including three wards of Sultan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Hajri.
The entry sheet for the race, won by a Julian Smart ward for two straight years, Ebraz last year and Gazwan the year before that, has the two HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Thani-owned horses listed again along with Umm Qarn’s Yazeed, in smashing form having won the Derby in December, and Tayf, winner of the Qatar International Stakes at Goodwood.
Alban de Mieulle-trained Yazeed has beaten Ebraz the last couple of times, including in the Derby, setting up a fine clash for the big one on February 24.
Qatar Derby topper Mac Mahon, like the Italian trainer Alduino Botti had told Gulf Times after the win in December, has been entered for the Thoroughbreds feature. Parviz, the Waldemar Hickst-trained colt from Germany who was third behind Ramonti colt in the Derby, has also been entered.
Qatar Racing Limited’s Chemical Charge will be the first runner in Qatar for UK trainer Ralph Beckett and the six-year-old is the top-rated entry. Last year’s runner-up, Al Wasmiyah Farm’s Noor Al Hawa, from the stables of German handler Andreas Wohler, is on the list too. Qatar’s Champion Trainer Jassim Mohamed Ghazali as the 2016 winner The Blue Eye and Al Biddah Mile topper Opera Baron on the preliminary entry list. 
Two Japanese bred horses are also in the list, including Mondo Intero and Toshin Monstera, while Ireland trainer Jim Bolger has Qatari Hunter and Glamorous Approach, and US trainer Chad Brown has Money Multiplier.
Tip Two Win, winner of the Al Rayyan Stakes in December, has been listed by UK trainer Roger Teal for the Group 2 Al Biddah Mile. Simon Dow, who had won the USD250,000 race last year with Mr Scaramanga, has Albishr on the list.
Mr Scaramanga, now four-year-old, is on the entry list for the Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup. The mile-long race, to be held on February 23, has some top quality entries, including Harry Dunlop-schooled 114-rated Robin Of Navan, while German trainer Mario Hofer, who had won the Qatar Derby with Rogue Runner in a dead heat two years ago, has entered Diplomat, fourth last year. 
Among the 50 entries for Group 3 Dukhan Sprint (Sponsored by Breeders’ Cup) are nine runners from eight UK handlers, including multiple Group 1 winner Gordon Lord Byron, trained by Tom Hogan. 
Caspian Prince, who finished third last year, has moved yards since and has been entered by Tony Coyle. Ghazali’s two successful sprinters, Izzthatright and My Sharona, are among the leading local horses entered in the race.
In the mile-long Qatar International Cup (Gr1 PA), Alban de Mieulle-trained TM Thunder Struck, last year’s winner for Umm Qarn, and runner-up Zikreet, trained by Fourcy for Al Shaqab Racing, are among the contenders. 
Fourcy’s compatriot, Francois Rohaut, has entered 2016 Qatar Derby winner Ateej, while there are nine runners from Oman in the list.