Doncaster, England // It says much about the draw of the world’s oldest Classic that six owners based in the UAE are gunning for a first victory in the St Leger on Saturday.
Princess Haya of Jordan will be represented by Romsdal and Marzocco, while Hartnell will carry the green-and-red silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed.
Hartnell hails from Mark Johnton’s yard and will be joined in the race by stablemates Alex My Boy, owned by UAE businessman Jaber Adbullah, and Somewhat, who runs for Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed.
Completing the set is Min Alemarat, who bids to give Ahmed Al Shaikh a bumper five days after Glory Awaits’ win in Turkey last week.
For good measure, Fitri Hay, a Dubai regular, runs topical participant Scotland just a few days before the independence referendum in the United Kingdom.
Kingston Hill is the favourite of the 14 runners after coming second in the English Derby behind Australia in June, while Romsdal, ridden by William Buick, is considered the second most-likely winner.
That said, Kingston Hill has yet to win this season in three starts and his rivals scent an opportunity.
The St Leger distance of 2,920 metres has been the downfall of countless hopefuls going back to the inaugural race in 1776, and many believe it will be beyond the reach of jockey Andrea Atzeni's mount.
"Kingston Hill has to go another two and half furlongs farther than he has before," said Joe Fanning, who will ride Hartnell. "It is an open race."
Trainer Roger Varian conceded that the distance is an unknown for Kingston Hill.
“The longer trip is an unknown, but his run at Epsom is a good pointer that he will stay,” he said. “We had to ride him forcefully early on, and then he was coming back at Australia at the line. On that evidence, it looks like another couple of furlongs will not be a problem.”
The distance looks tailor-made for Hartnell. He edged Century at Royal Ascot in June over 3,200 metres in a furious battle. Back at 2,600 metres, he won the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket in July, before blowing out in the 2,400-metre Great Voltigeur at York last month, won by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s Postponed.
“I think it was the drop back in distance and the going was too firm, because I wasn’t happy from about five furlongs out,” Fanning said. “That was the worst he has run in a long time.”
It was Hartnell’s 12th run, which, for a three-year-old colt with Classic pretensions, is a busy campaign.
No winner there in the past decade had run as many times, and there is the suspicion that Hartnell might have had enough for the year.
“I rode him in some work on Tuesday and he looks very well in his coat and his weight is perfect,” Fanning said. “I don’t think he is at the end of a busy campaign.”
This has been a vintage season for Fanning, who has broken £1 million (Dh5.9m) in winning prize money this season for only the second time in his career.
Elsewhere, Bordeaux trainer Christian Baillet hopes that Al Mouhannad can stretch out her devastating turn of foot over 1,600 metres when she lines up in Saturday's lucrative Harwood Stakes for Purebred Arabians.
Al Mouhannad’s speed earned her a second Zaabeel International Stakes on Dubai Purebred Arabian Day at Newbury last month. That race was over 1,200 metres, however.
Twelve months ago, Al Mouhannad went on to finish third in the inaugural running of the Harwood Stakes, but Baillet says that his charge is much better this season.
“Doncaster has been the plan all season,” he said. “There is no programme for a horse like her, so we hope she stays.”
Al Mouhannad picked up £12,500 (Dh74,059) for winning the Zaabeel, but the Harwood is backed by the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club and carries a purse of £150,000, making it the third-most-valuable race of the 30 races at the four-day St Leger Festival.
French trainer Alban De Mieulle is noticeably absent from a British Group 1 race once again, but depth to the 14-runner contest comes from the Julian Smart pair of Al Atique and Al Anga. Gillian Duffield saddles Group 2 winner Manark and Radames for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid.
Meanwhile, the Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival received a huge boost yesterday when the bonus for next year’s Triple Jewel for Purebred Arabians was increased to US$150,000 (Dh551,000).
The European Triple Crown for Purebred Arabians was increased to €50,000 (Dh238,000).
The Triple Jewel races will be run at Houston, Pleasanton and Los Alamitos racecourses, while the European equivalent will be staged in Toulouse, the Netherlands and Poland.
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