Well-drawn Charge fighting fit for Gr. 1 Emir's Trophy
Qatar Racing's Chemical Charge has drawn stall 4 of 16 in the Gr. 1 The Emir's Trophy (13:15 GMT) at Al Rayyan in Doha, Qatar on Saturday.
Six-year-old Chemical Charge looks the one to beat in the Longines-sponsored $1 million (£717,260) race over a mile and a half on grass, when he'll become Ralph Beckett's first runner in Qatar.
He'll be ridden by Oisin Murphy, who has partnered the entire in seven of his last eight starts, including when winning the Gr. 3 toteplacepot September Stakes on the polytrack at Kempton last Septmber and when a career-best fourth in the Gr. 1 Longines Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December.
Ralph's travelling head lad Richard Arnold is over with Chemical Charge and told the Racing Post: "You couldn't have picked a better stall. He's a very talented horse, he's in good shape, he's bang on his fighting weight and we've been very happy with him since he got here he looks a million dollars.
"A right-handed track, quick ground, everything's in our favour. We just want a well-run race now."
Drawn directly inside Chemical Charge is Duke of Dundee, carrying the Umm Qarn Racing colours of Sheikh Fahad's father H. H. Sheikh Abdulla Bin Khalifa Al Thani and ridden by Olivier Peslier.
More well-known names to British and Irish racegoers are Andrew Balding's Elbereth (stall 8) and Jim Bolger's well-named Qatari Hunter (stall 15). Frankie Dettori rides the US challenger Money Multiplier, who starts from stall 11. H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani's colours are worn by Gerald Avranche on Otwo (stall 6).
The 2016 winner The Blue Eye will again be ridden by Harry Bentley and is drawn in 9.
On British soil on Saturday, Mr Owen has been declared for the Gr. 3 Betway Winter Derby Stakes (15:15) over a mile and a quarter at Lingfield. He's currently around a 12/1 shot, seventh best of the 10 runners, but his form claims are better than that, a three-time winner after all, including in December. He's a straightforward horse with a good turn of foot, which new rider Jamie Spencer can hopefully utilise.