Dubai Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, looks set to have a profitable weekend on the British flat this weekend where the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood is the principal feature.

Shaikh Hamdan is responsible for Thikriyaat, the ante-post favourite in the £100,000 contest, which acts as a stepping stone to the Group 1 £1,1million Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day in October, a trophy that Shaikh Hamdan has won twice in the past with Bahri (1995) and Lahib (1992).

A winner during Glorious Goodwood at the same track last month three-year-old Thikriyaat faces just four rivals on Saturday, in a race which looks an intriguing battle of the generations.

Supplemented to the line-up earlier this week at a cost of 10,000 he is joined by fellow three-year-old Zonderland and the duo take on a trio of seasoned older horses including Godolphin’s Toormore and the Qatar-owned duo of Arod and Lightning Spear.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Thikriyaat has notched four wins this season including the Group 3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes on his most recent start over course and distance.

Angus Gold, Shaikh Hamdan’s racing manager, said in the Racing Post: “If he keeps progressing then obviously he could be [running on Champions Day], but he’s got to take the next step.

“He hasn’t disappointed us yet, so I don’t see any reason why he won’t take it, but whether he’s up to a Group 1 — only time will tell. It’s one step at a time for now — he’s won a Group 3, we’re trying Group 2 and then we’ll see.

“I think Michael [Stoute] felt this was a natural progression. We hadn’t put him in initially but he’s won at the track and he wants the distance. He’s in the Park Stakes but that’s seven furlongs but we thought we’d go a mile as he’s a tough and genuine horse who is very much on the upgrade.

“We feel it’s the right race for the horse. He worked well on Saturday and everyone’s happy with him.”

Meanwhile, Shaikh Hamdan’s exciting sprinter Muthmir takes aim at the Listed Beverley Bullet, the highlight of the track’s richest raceday of the season.

“He’s not really had a great deal of luck this year, but we need to get him out soon,” said trainer William Haggas, who missed the Nunthorpe Stakes at York last Friday having previously finished sixth when defending his title in the King George Stakes at Goodwood at the end of July.

“He’s in the Flying Five (Curragh) and the Abbaye (Chantilly) and I’d like to run him in both, but a lot of that depends upon how the ground is.

“He’s in fine form and is good to go — he just needs to race.”

Shaikh Hamdan also has a leading entry in the €100,000 Irish Cambridgeshire, the Curragh’s prestigious mile and a half race on Sunday, with Aared.

Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby sends out the sole British-trained contender in the Group 3 Flame Of Tara Stakes with Newmarket maiden winner Wuheida.