Eyeing A Repeat

DOHA, Qatar–Saturday's $1-million HH The Emir's Trophy Presented by Longines–the featured Thoroughbred race on the final card of the three-day Emir's Sword Festival in Qatar–pits last year's winner, The Blue Eye (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), against December's Qatar Derby and Qatar Oaks winners Noor Al Hawa (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) and Mango Tango (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), respectively. The Jassim Al Ghazali-trained The Blue Eye has lost just once in his last seven outings, when last of nine in last year's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, but the 5-year-old entire has otherwise been perfect at Doha over the past 13 months. His last three wins have come over 11 furlongs, most recently the Feb. 2 Thoroughbred Trophy Trial over Ponfeigh (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). The Blue Eye will have to overcome a potentially inconvenient post 15. Noor Al Hawa, a dual Group 3 winner last fall in Germany prior to shipping to Qatar to take the Derby, makes his first appearance since that Dec. 29 contest for trainer Andreas Wohler. He is drawn favourably in stall four, one to the inside of Mango Tango, the former French-trained filly. The 4-year-old won the Qatar Oaks Dec. 28 but had to settle for fifth behind The Blue Eye when most recently seen in the Umm Qarn Cup on Jan. 12.

The Emir's Sword meeting welcomes its first-ever U.S.-trained runner in the Doug O'Neill stable's Royal Albert Hall (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}). Third in Keeneland's GII Dixiana Elkhorn S. over this trip in April, the 5-year-old gelding warmed up for this with a third in a Santa Anita optional claimer on Jan. 3.

Also looking to take the spoils outside the country are the likes of Nicholas Clement's Now We Can (GB) (Martillo {Ger}), third in the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris on Oct. 16; and the consistently classy Arab Spring (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), last seen finishing second in Lingfield's Winter Derby Trial on Feb. 4 for Sir Michael Stoute.