Where does Qatar sit in the global racing scene? Where might it sit a decade from now? The first question is easier to answer than the second.

Having just returned from a five-day trip to the country it is clear that the future of racing is assured. The racing product there is very different to many other places, with huge prizes to be won by the mainly locally owned runners. There were a handful of overseas challengers for the thoroughbred races but none of significance. It was a different story for the Arabian races.