The British Bay colt will be racing up against Russain Emporer – who won last year’s event.

Israr, a five-year-old British thoroughbred Bay horse, will participate in this year’s Amir Sword Festival.

On February 17, Israr’s father-son duo trainers, John and Thady Gosden, will be hoping to score the $2.5 million reward in the HH The Amir Trophy race.

Bred and owned by the Shadwell Estate Company, Israr will be joined in Doha by stablemate and fellow Bay colt, Orne.

Although also trained by the Gosden pair, Orne is owned by Qatar’s Al Shaqab Racing and has been entered in the Al Rayyan Mile race. Up for grabs will be a $400,000 prize.

Israr was sired by Muhaarar – a British thoroughbred racehorse. The stallion is noted for his exceptional sprinting abilities. 

Israr’s thoroughbred dam, Taghrooda, has in the past won at Ascot, Epsom Downs and Newmarket.

This gene pool has ridden Israr into victory nine times, including at Newmarket, Newbury, and Doncaster.

During his last two races, the thoroughbred colt placed second at Ascot in October and second again in Bahrain in November.

‘In good shape’

This year in Doha, his competition includes Russian Emperor, a Bay Gelding horse who won the HH Amir Trophy last year.

Richard Hills, the assistant racing manager to owners Shadwell Estates, is confident that Israr is poised to overthrow Russian Emperor’s dominion.

“Israr worked well on the Cambridge Road polytrack last week and John and Thady were happy with him,” he said.

He added that Israr is in good shape, and since “it will probably be quick ground in Qatar, which he enjoys, as he showed when second on a similar surface in Bahrain,” he will likely ride favourably.

The Amir Sword Festival will start on February 15 and end on 17.