FIELD OF 12 LINE UP FOR £400,000 ARABIAN CONTEST

A field of 12 pure-bred Arabian horses is set to go to post for Saturday's mile Qatar International Stakes (5.30pm), the penultimate race of this year's Qatar Goodwood Festival.

The Qatar International Stakes is the first leg of the Doha Triple Crown with the remaining two legs being the mile and a quarter Group One Qatar Arabian World Cup in October, held on Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe day and the mile and a half Group One HH Emir's Sword, which will be held at Doha in February 2017. Any horse who wins all three legs of the Doha Triple Crown will receive a US$1 million bonus.

Run over one mile and with a prize fund of £400,000, the Group One showpiece at Goodwood contains a stellar line-up for this year's renewal.

The field is headed by Al Mourtajez, trained in France by Thomas Fourcy and is owned by Al Shaqab Racing. Al Mourtajez is the highest rated Arabian racehorse in the world and was a facile five-length winner of the Group One Qatar Arabian World Cup at Longchamp last year. Julian Auge takes the ride.

French trainer Elizabeth Bernard trains Sir Bani Yas who finished behind Al Mourtzjez in the Qatar Arabian World Cup but was successful in last year's Qatar International Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. Jean-Bernard Eyquem, who rode the horse to victory in 2015, is once again on board.

Prada T, trained by Gerd Zoetelief from the Netherlands, was a close second in the 2015 Qatar International Stakes. Pat Dobbs takes over the ride on the horse.

Beverley Deutrom saddles four of the 12 runners in the race. Furry, ridden by Harry Bentley, Kao Kat Mhf, partnered by Ryan Tate, Karar, with David Probert up andLahoob, the mount of Richard Mullen, make up the United Arab Emirates trainer's quartet.

The US-bred TM Thunder Struck represents Qatari trainer Alban De Mieulle. French jockey Olivier Peslier is in the saddle.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Thani is represented by Rawah, who is trained in France by Francois Rohaut, the mount of Francois Xavier Bertras, while fellow Frenchman Damien de Watrigant saddles Sahabba, ridden by Jean-Baptiste Hamelin.

John Wilson's Alcea Rosea and French trainer Stefan Simon's Amjad Al Aziz, ridden by Antoine Hamelin, complete the 12-runner field.