WIMBLEDON tennis champion Marion Bartoli was one of the guests at a gala dinner held at the St Regis Hotel on Tuesday night in Qatar. Visitors from around the world descended on the Gulf state for the week of racing and showing.

Show classes for Arabians were staged in advance of the racing festival and all events were held at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Centre.

At the gala dinner a number of presentations were made. Chief among these was one for the dual Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Treve and the mare’s trainer Criquette Head accepted the award. Also honoured were the champion Arabian mare Djainka Des Forges and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Charm Spirit.

Many of the Al Shaqab Racing trainers were present and these included champion US trainer Todd Pletcher and the British champion Richard Hannon. Also there were four Epsom Derby winning trainers in Sir Michael Stoute, Luca Cumani, John Gosden and William Haggas.

Pletcher was accompanied by Bradley Weisbord and the pair arrived fresh from the Gulfstream success of Khozan, the three-year-old Distorted Humor sibling to Royal Delta. Weisbord revealed that the colt, a million-dollar breeze-up purchase, will now be aimed at the Florida Derby. A first or second place finish would ensure that he gets into the line-up for the Kentucky Derby. The colt is unbeaten in two starts this year.