Dubai John Gosden will be hoping that Muntahaa can benefit from his Chester experience and supply him with a fifth English St. Leger (G1), the world’s oldest Classic worth a record £700,000 in prize money.

Muntahaa, who Gosden says was caught out by greenness in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in July, looked a more mature horse when winning a strongly contested renewal of the Listed Chester Stakes on his subsequent and most recent start three weeks ago.

A Shadwell-homebred the three-year-old races in the colours of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, who has won a dozen British Classic with the exception of the St. Leger.

Muntahaa takes on eight rivals in Saturday’s 2,800 metre contest, the jewel in the crown of Doncaster racecourse’s annual calendar, including a strong three-horse team representing another four-time St. Leger winning handler Aidan O’Brien.

“This horse never raced at two. He is babyish and he was caught out by greenness in the King Edward,” said the Newmarket handler at the St. Leger lunch earlier in the week.

“At Chester, they are turning all the way and he learnt a lot that day — it was Ladies Day and there was plenty of noise but he handled it fine.

“He is a grand horse, but the race is coming quite soon enough. He has only breezed once since Chester. He is a frame and has had one breeze with Paul Hanagan on top,” Gosden added.

“He will get the trip — I just don’t know if he will get the trip quick enough.

“The Leger is a fabulous race on a great day. The staying races are so important.”

O’Brien, who previous won the Leger in 2001 with Milan, 2003 (Brian Boru), 2005 (Scorpion) and 2013 (Leading Light) said of chances of his three contenders, Idaho, Housesofparliment and Sword Fighter.

“I think Idaho is in the same category as my four previous winners. He has a very high level of form over 10 and 12 furlongs and is an uncomplicated horse,” said the trainer.

“Everything has gone well and we have been looking forward to the Leger with him.”

“Sword Fighter stays well. He won well at Ascot and he won nicely at the Curragh and he ran well at Goodwood. Housesofparliament is a very straightforward horse. He ran very well in the Voltigeur and won a nice race at Newmarket and he stays very well.

“The Leger is a very important race. The three-year-olds have categories — milers, mile-and-a-quarter horses and mile-and-a-half horses.”

Meanwhile, English and Irish Derby winner Harzand is set to face 1,000 Guineas and Oaks victor Minding in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, Ireland.

Dermot Weld runs likely pacemaker Ebediyin as well as Harzand with Fascinating Rock a notable absentee among 13 runners.