Qatar Racing colours set for Dubai World Cup

Qatar Racing manager David Redvers this morning described Neolithic as a prospective Grade One winner with stallion potential.

He was speaking a few hours after it became known that Qatar Racing has purchased a share in four-year-old Neolithic, who is set to line up in Saturday's $10m Gr.1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the colt has hitherto carried the colours of Starlight Racing, which remains a share-holder, but jockey John Valazquez is set to wear Qatar Racing silks in the big race.

Redvers said: ‚"The purchase is entirely down to Sheikh Fahad, who picked the horse out. He believes that if you take Arrogate out the World Cup is a very open race, but the main reason for the [share] purchase is that he feels the horse is capable of winning a Grade One race in the USA, and therefore he has stallion potential.

‚"If Neolithic wins or runs into a place on Saturday so much the better, but the mid- to long-term plan is for future races in the States. The horse is by Harlan's Holiday, who is turning into an exciting sire of sires.‚"

The Bob Baffert-trained Arrogate is the stand-out horse in Saturday's field he recently added to his glowing CV by winning the hugely-valuable Gr.1 Pegasus World Cup, in which Neolithic ran a super race to finish third. A $460,000 yearling, Neolithic is a brother or half-brother to two other dirt winners, having been produced by the triple Stakes-winning mare Swingit (Victory Gallop).

Tiara bids for more Meydan money

Former Qatar Racing runner Opal Tiara is engaged to run in the Gr.1 Dubai Turf on Saturday's Dubai World Cup card at Meydan.

Opal Tiara was offered for sale at Tattersalls' December Sale, where she was bought by her trainer, Mick Channon, for 230,000gns, on behalf of a syndicate. She recouped almost £100,000 when winning a Group Two race for fillies and mares at Meydan last month, having finished second in a similar contest in January at the same track.

Saturday's race is worth a total of nearly £3m, and Opal Tiara would need only finish sixth to gain another £100,000 and take her earnings since the turn of the year to a sum similar to her purchase price at Tattersalls.

She is proof, once again, that consignments of horses offered by Qatar Racing at the sales are always worth delving into.